Charles Rollier

Charles Rollier (1912–1968) was a Swiss painter.

Charles Rollier was born in 1912 in Milan. He was the third son of Eric Rollier an industrialist and member of the Waldensians. From 1930, he attended the Academia of Fine Arts of Brera (Milan). In spring 1934, he left Italy because of the growing fascism and settled down in Basel (Switzerland). He met Georg Schmidt, the curator of the Kusthaus of Basel and got in touch with other artists, of whom Coghuf (Ernst Stocker).

Between 1938 and 1940, he lived in Paris and became friend with Gustav Bolin. Both of them stayed in Mirmande in Drôme (France) while the Germans occupied Paris. At this period he met Alexandre Garbell (known as Sacha) with whom he will keep in touch.

His father was worrying about the war's dangers so Rollier went back to Switzerland, in 1941, and settled down in Geneva. In the Old Town's cafés frequented by artists and intellectuals living in Geneva, he related with Alberto Giacometti and Roger Montandon. It was in La Clemence, one of these cafés, that he introduced Annette Arm to Giacometti. They were married two years later, in 1943. Rollier married Alice Vincent. They only stayed together two years, from 1942 to 1945.

The Moos gallery organized his first exhibition together with d'Arnold d'Alrti. Rollier received the recognition of some known artist like Tristan Tzara or Constant Rey-Millet, and met the art-review Pierre Courthion who became a friend and a great admirer.

In May 1964, he went back to Paris, spent time in Montparnasse, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and in the cafés (Les Deux Magots, Le Flore, Le Dôme). He met there Montandon, Giacometti, Tzara, Bolin et Garbell and some artist of the so-called School of Paris (École de Paris), especially Jean Bazaine, Charles Lapicque and Nicolas de Staël, to whom he will become very close. Rollier married Gisèle Bachmann on October the 5, 1946. During his time in Paris he associated with Gustav Bolin, Alberto Giacometti, Nicolas de Staël, Roger Montandon et Tristan Tzara.

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