Rosenberg, Charles

Introduction:

Regarded as one of the most prolific and talented silhouette artists of his time, Charles Rosenberg was famed for his many profiles of royalty, and is celebrated today for his silhouettes.

Rosenberg’s records show he was born in November 1745 in Austria. It is thought that he immigrated to England when he was approximately 14, in the entourage of Princess Charlotte who was betrothed to George III. His first know advertisement indicates he began working as a silhouette artist in 1787 in Bath, which remained his base throughout his career. It is here he enjoyed the patronage of royalty. However, he was clearly an itinerant artist too, as he is known to have visited Harrogate, Leeds, Cheltenham, Weymouth and Ramsgate. Rosenberg had 10 known trade labels on his various mediums and he also used a variety of frames, particularly square brass frames, oval hammered brass frames, gilt frames and pearwood.

Rosenberg’s style was very consistent throughout his career, making his profiles easily recognisable. His profiles are interpreted as being painted with certain hardness, with little attention to detail. He often painted in hard lined dead black pigment, which makes him very recognisable as a profilist, and painted both full-length and bust-length profiles. Rosenberg used a variety of mediums; he painted on convex and flat glass, painted on paper, painted silhouettes in jewellery settings and is thought to have attempted silhouettes on ivory too. Rosenberg’s profiles of royalty, including Princes of Germany and George III and family, remain his most popular pieces today; a profile of the Prince Regent on horseback set the record price for a single silhouette sold at auction, going for £9,500 on 22 February 2008.