NAVLET

INSTITUTE

Creation as a Legacy

The Navlet brothers left behind a considerable and complementary body of work that remains largely unknown. Little inclined toward social life, Victor, Joseph, and Gustave devoted their lives to art, each winning prestigious awards in his respective field.

The story of this exceptional 19th-century sibling trio deserves to be shared, studied, preserved, and (re)discovered. An immersion into their world.

Victor Navlet

“Three brothers, sons of Jean-Baptiste Navlet, would leave to posterity their talent for drawing, painting, and sculpture.”

Charles Rémy, 1887

Vue générale de Paris, prise de l'observatoire en ballon

1819 - 1886

Victor Navlet

His rational mind and determination led him, in 1853, "to conceive an aerial view solely through the application of perspective calculations, five years before Nadar himself produced, from a balloon, the very first aerial photograph ever taken."

 

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la Poétesse Sapho

1821 - 1889

Joseph Navlet

Joseph loved color, the softness of summer, the military aura, and Emilie, whom he married in 1847. Deeply committed to his role as head of the family, he quickly understood that buyers expected from him reassuring religious scenes and legendary themes.

 

 

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Gustave Navlet

1832 - 1915

Gustave Navlet

Le Foudre, presented at the 1889 World’s Fair, won second place, just behind a certain Eiffel Tower. Gustave’s sculptures are part of the Hillsides, Houses, and Cellars of Champagne, which have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 4, 2015.

 

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“And our goal will have been achieved if others after us commit themselves to strengthening the eminent place that should be theirs in the history of art.”

- Philippe Pagnotta

Chief Curator of Heritage
Director of the Museums of Châlons-en-Champagne

"The origin of Google Maps"

About General View of Paris, taken from the Observatory in a balloon  

 

 

- m75fworld, Italy

"Gustave Navlet, an artist from Châlons en Champagne, knew how to combine art and wine heritage in works that continue to bear witness to his genius."

 

- Grégory Duchatel

France Bleu (Ici), June 12, 2025

victor navlet - Orsay

Mission

Founded to preserve and promote the artistic legacy of the Navlet brothers, the Navlet Institute works to pass down a singular family history, where creativity, perseverance, and solidarity are intertwined.

From painting to sculpture, from architecture to decorative arts, the Navlet lineage has left its mark on multiple generations, from Champagne to Paris, and even Rome and California.

The Navlet Institute is dedicated to sharing this heritage with the widest audience, while placing it within a contemporary reflection on art and its transmission.