Charles Machet was a French sculptor and painter, active primarily in the Lyon region, known for portraiture, animal subjects and symbolic works. Born in Izieu (Ain), he trained as a modeller of the human form, developing a style that balances direct observation with a refined handling of surface.

He exhibited at established salons early in his career and became closely associated with the cultural life of Lyon and the surrounding region. His bronzes are characterised by a quiet economy of means, with an emphasis on contour, mass and tactile finish.

Machet’s reputation in France rests in part on a number of public and commemorative commissions, most notably the Monument des Maquis de l’Ain et du Haut-Jura at Cerdon (inaugurated 1951), a significant regional memorial of the Resistance. More recently, a retrospective, Des œuvres de l’intime au monument de Cerdon, was held at the Musée du Bugey-Valromey (2022–23), reaffirming his standing within the region.

His work is held in public collections including the Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation, Lyon, and the Musées des Pays de l’Ain.