The heir of wealthy Swiss parents, Emile Wegelin pursued his artistic career without financial pressure and was not required to enter the commercial circuit. When he did exhibit his paintings, at the insistence of his fellow painters, Wegelin found success. He regularly exhibited at the Spring Exhibition of "La Societe Lyonnaise des Beaux-Arts", where he was awarded First Prize in 1930. He also exhibited in Provence, Geneva, Lausanne and Freeburg and a retrospective exhibition was held at the Academy des Beaux-Arts in Lyon.

Wegelin received his training from highly regarded painters of the Lyon area: one of his earliest mentors was Emile Noirot (1853-1924). The artist who most influenced Wegelin, however, was Pierre Montezin (1874-1946), a praised Post-Impressionist painter. Noirot and Montezin’s enthusiastic support of the young artist greatly assisted Wegelin in gaining early recognition amongst his peers, and they traveled together on numerous painting expeditions.

Emile Wegelin devoted his entire life to painting. Beginning with his teenage years until his death at eighty-seven Wegelin, a restless traveler, journeyed throughout Europe often by foot with his palette, boards and brushes and would paint on location. He had the patience to wait for the glowing sunset or the exact moment at dawn when haze floats mysteriously.

In his work Wegelin expressed his deep love of nature by depicting with large brushwork and impastos luminous and serene landscapes devoid of any narrative or anecdotal animation. According to Wegelin, anecdotes do not add anything, they only weaken the captivating or immediate emotional effect.

Cosmopolitan Fine Arts is proud to present Emile Wegelin.