Charles Denet (1837 – 1916): A Painter of Rural Normandy Charles Denet was born in Rouen, France, in 1837, amidst the burgeoning artistic fervor of the Belle Époque. His formative years were steeped in the traditions of École de Barbizon, a movement that championed plein air painting and sought to capture the essence of the French countryside with uncompromising realism. Influenced by artists like Jean-François Millet and Gustave Courbet, Denet embraced the principles of depicting everyday life—laborious tasks, humble dwellings, and the profound connection between humanity and nature—as cent…