Hugo Charlemont came from a family of artists. He was the son of the miniature painter Matthias Adolf Charlemont and brother of the painters Eduard (1848-1906) and Theodor Charlemont (1859-1938). Hugo's daughter Lilly Charlemont (1890-1975) was also an artist.
Hugo Charlemont studied at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1873 and was a student of Eduard Peithner von Lichtenfels. With Arthur William Unger he learned printing technology and the art of etching. He later continued his artistic education with his brother Eduard and Hans Makart. He also made several study trips to the Netherlands and stayed in Venice for several years. Hugo Charlemont was a role model for the painter van Helmond in Robert Musil's novel "The Man Without Qualities". Alice Charlemont, his older daughter, returns as Clarisse in the novel.
The artist was considered a versatile talent among his contemporaries. He devoted himself to a great variety of visual subjects, such as landscape, still life, animal, genre or portrait painting. In addition to oil paintings, he also created numerous watercolours and gouaches. The most remarkable ones are his landscapes, which are kept in an impressionist style. However, Charlemont was not impressed by the innovations of modern art; he remained true to his own style, even in the 20th century.
He is buried in an honorary grave in the Döblinger Friedhof (group 23, row 12, number 13) in Vienna.
