Paris

Paris was Charlie's favourite city beyond Tyneside. He made over ten visits from 1964 onwards, drawn to the street life and café culture that rhymed with what he painted at home. The market traders, the pavement conversations, the urban density, all translated naturally into the pen and wash method he had developed in Bensham back lanes.

His Paris paintings sit alongside the Gateshead work without contradiction. The same eye, a different city. Albert Marquet, whom Charlie named as an influence, had painted Paris from café windows for decades before Charlie arrived.