Charles Rosenberg

Silhouettes can also be known as ‘shades’ or ‘shadows’, the latter term being particularly relevant in this case where the silhouette has been reverse painted on convex glass which throws a shadow on to the white plaster backing.

The profile shows a young lady with her hair swept up in an apollo knot secured with a comb and with wispy curls on her forehead. Regrettably her name has been lost to history though the artist’s trade label remains intact on the reverse of the papier-mâché frame.

Austrian-born, Charles Rosenberg probably came to England as part of Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz’s entourage when she arrived in 1761 to marry King George III. This connection may explain why Rosenberg enjoyed royal and aristocratic patronage throughout his career. He settled in Bath and was one of the most successful silhouettists of the period.