| Revision as of 00:54, 16 May 2022 editSer Amantio di Nicolao (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators6,312,452 edits →External links: recategorize to Category:19th-century English male artistsTag: AWB← Previous edit | Revision as of 07:21, 24 October 2023 edit undoMichael Bednarek (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users85,122 edits updated Gilmour URL; use {{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography}} for ADB and cite it.; mention his birth name.Next edit → | ||
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| {{short description|English painter}} | {{short description|German-English-Australian painter, 1802–1860}} | ||
| {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} | {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} | ||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}} | ||
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| | name = Charles Rodius | | name = Charles Rodius | ||
| | image = Charles Rodius self-portrait.jpg | | image = Charles Rodius self-portrait.jpg | ||
| | caption = |
| caption = Self-portrait, {{circa|1849}} | ||
| | birth_name = | | birth_name = Joseph Meyer | ||
| | birth_date = 1802 | | birth_date = 1802 | ||
| | birth_place = ], |
| birth_place = ], Germany | ||
| | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1860|4|9|1802}} | | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1860|4|9|1802}} | ||
| | death_place = ], |
| death_place = ], New South Wales, Australia | ||
| | nationality = | | nationality = | ||
| | spouse = | | spouse = | ||
| Line 22: | Line 21: | ||
| | awards = | | awards = | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Charles Rodius''' (1802 – 9 April 1860) was a German-born artist, printmaker and architect. Trained in France before moving to England, he was ] as a ] to the Australian ] of ] for theft in 1829. | '''Charles Rodius''' (born Joseph Meyer, 1802 – 9 April 1860) was a German-born artist, printmaker and architect. Trained in France before moving to England, he was ] as a ] to the Australian ] of ] for theft in 1829. | ||
| While not as well known as other convict artists, such as ] and ], Rodius has received praise for his works, and he is represented in several major Australian galleries. | While not as well known as other convict artists, such as ] and ], Rodius has received praise for his works, and he is represented in several major Australian galleries. | ||
| ==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
| Rodius was born in 1802 in ], Germany. As a teenager he moved to |
Rodius was born in 1802 in ], Germany;<ref name=ADB>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Gray|first=Jocelyn|year=1967|volume=2|id2=rodius-charles-2599|title=Charles Rodius}}</ref> other sources give Hamburg as his place of birth as part of the large ].<ref name=Allen>{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/how-a-handbag-thief-became-sydneys-most-celebrated-artist/news-story/6efa0b47ca5a41e240d7db7129963581|access-date=24 October 2023|url-access=subscription|title=How a handbag thief became Sydney’s most celebrated artist|last=Allen|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Allen (critic)|date=21–22 October 2023|newspaper=]|department=Review|page=12}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/file/211788/download?token=GbADfUFF|access-date=24 October 2023|title=Charles Rodius – Exhibition Guide|page=8|publisher=]|date=2023|isbn=978-1-925831-28-3}}</ref> As a teenager he moved to Paris, France, where he studied art and worked as a teacher of "music, painting, drawing and languages in families of the first distinction".<ref name=npg>{{cite magazine|last=Gilmour|first=Joanna|date=1 June 2010|url=https://www.portrait.gov.au/magazines/36/fine-and-dandy|access-date=24 October 2023|title=Fine and dandy|publisher=]|location=Canberra|magazine=Portrait|number=36}}</ref> | ||
| He move to London in 1927 where he changed his name to Charles Rodius.<ref name=Allen /> There he was charged in early 1829 with stealing a perfume bottle, tickets, an opera glass and a handkerchief from a woman's purse. Rodius defended himself, arguing that the items were gifts from some of his female students. He was nonetheless convicted and sentenced to seven years' ] to the Australian ] of ]. At the time of his trial, he was described as "a young foreigner, dressed in a most fashionable style".<ref name=npg/> | |||
| ==Transportation to Australia== | ==Transportation to Australia== | ||
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| Rodius arrived in New South Wales aboard the convict ship ''Sarah'' in December 1829. Like ], ], and other transported convicts with artistic abilities, Rodius's skills as a draughtsman were utilised by the colonial authorities and he was assigned to the Department of Public Works in ].<ref name=npg/> He taught drawing to civil and military officers and helped to devise plans for proposed colonial buildings. Rodius was also commissioned as a portraitist by members of the colony's elite, such as Chief Justice ].<ref name=npg/> Having established himself as an artist with the reputation of a ], Rodius, with the support of his patronage, was granted a ticket of exemption in 1832—the year he began to earn his own living as an artist—which was changed to a ] two years later.<ref name=npg/> | Rodius arrived in New South Wales aboard the convict ship ''Sarah'' in December 1829. Like ], ], and other transported convicts with artistic abilities, Rodius's skills as a draughtsman were utilised by the colonial authorities and he was assigned to the Department of Public Works in ].<ref name=npg/> He taught drawing to civil and military officers and helped to devise plans for proposed colonial buildings. Rodius was also commissioned as a portraitist by members of the colony's elite, such as Chief Justice ].<ref name=npg/> Having established himself as an artist with the reputation of a ], Rodius, with the support of his patronage, was granted a ticket of exemption in 1832—the year he began to earn his own living as an artist—which was changed to a ] two years later.<ref name=npg/> | ||
| Rodius remained in Australia where he continued to create portraits of well-known colonial identities, including explorer and fellow German ]. According to ] curator Joanna Gilmour, it was Rodius's portraits of ] that "demonstrated his true dexterity" as an artist.<ref name=npg/> While some of the images hint at ], others, such as his images of Aborigines from the ] district, "are disarming in their softness and sensitivity".<ref name=npg/> Rodius's Aboriginal works were widely disseminated by the artist as ], sold at a price intended to "place these interesting copies within the reach of all classes".<ref name=npg/> | Rodius remained in Australia where he continued to create portraits of well-known colonial identities, including explorer and fellow German ]. According to ] curator Joanna Gilmour, it was Rodius's portraits of ] that "demonstrated his true dexterity" as an artist.<ref name=npg/> While, in Gilmour's opinion, some of the images hint at ], others, such as his images of Aborigines from the ] district, "are disarming in their softness and sensitivity".<ref name=npg/> Art critic ] calls Rodius's Aboriginal portraits, which include ] and his wife, ], honest, lucid, and respectful, not a caricature in any way.<ref name=Allen /> These works were widely disseminated by the artist as ], sold at a price intended to "place these interesting copies within the reach of all classes".<ref name=npg/> | ||
| Rodius suffered a stroke in the late 1850s, leaving him paralysed on one side, and on 9 April 1860 he died "of infirmity" at Sydney's ]. | Rodius suffered a stroke in the late 1850s, leaving him paralysed on one side, and on 9 April 1860 he died "of infirmity" at Sydney's ]. | ||
| His works were shown in a group exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, and the ], Hobart, in 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/elegance-in-exile-2012|access-date=24 October 2023|title=Elegance in exile – Portrait drawings from colonial Australia|publisher=]|date=2012}}</ref> The ] held the first ever retrospective of his works in 2023–2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/charles-rodius|access-date=24 October 2023|title=Exhibition – Charles Rodius|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| Line 47: | Line 48: | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| ⚫ | * {{Commons category-inline|Charles Rodius}} | ||
| * at the ] | |||
| * held at the ] | |||
| ⚫ | {{Authority control|state=collapsed}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Commons category|Charles Rodius}} | ||
| *Gray, Jocelyn (1967). . '']''. | |||
| ⚫ | {{Authority control}} | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodius, Charles}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodius, Charles}} | ||
Revision as of 07:21, 24 October 2023
German-English-Australian painter, 1802–1860
| Charles Rodius | |
|---|---|
 Self-portrait, c. 1849 | |
| Born | Joseph Meyer 1802 Cologne, Germany |
| Died | 9 April 1860(1860-04-09) (aged 57–58) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Charles Rodius (born Joseph Meyer, 1802 – 9 April 1860) was a German-born artist, printmaker and architect. Trained in France before moving to England, he was transported as a convict to the Australian penal colony of New South Wales for theft in 1829.
While not as well known as other convict artists, such as Joseph Lycett and Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, Rodius has received praise for his works, and he is represented in several major Australian galleries.
Early life and education
Rodius was born in 1802 in Cologne, Germany; other sources give Hamburg as his place of birth as part of the large Jewish population of that city. As a teenager he moved to Paris, France, where he studied art and worked as a teacher of "music, painting, drawing and languages in families of the first distinction".
He move to London in 1927 where he changed his name to Charles Rodius. There he was charged in early 1829 with stealing a perfume bottle, tickets, an opera glass and a handkerchief from a woman's purse. Rodius defended himself, arguing that the items were gifts from some of his female students. He was nonetheless convicted and sentenced to seven years' transportation to the Australian penal colony of New South Wales. At the time of his trial, he was described as "a young foreigner, dressed in a most fashionable style".
Transportation to Australia
Rodius arrived in New South Wales aboard the convict ship Sarah in December 1829. Like Thomas Bock, Joseph Lycett, and other transported convicts with artistic abilities, Rodius's skills as a draughtsman were utilised by the colonial authorities and he was assigned to the Department of Public Works in Sydney. He taught drawing to civil and military officers and helped to devise plans for proposed colonial buildings. Rodius was also commissioned as a portraitist by members of the colony's elite, such as Chief Justice Francis Forbes. Having established himself as an artist with the reputation of a dandy, Rodius, with the support of his patronage, was granted a ticket of exemption in 1832—the year he began to earn his own living as an artist—which was changed to a ticket of leave two years later.
Rodius remained in Australia where he continued to create portraits of well-known colonial identities, including explorer and fellow German Ludwig Leichhardt. According to National Portrait Gallery curator Joanna Gilmour, it was Rodius's portraits of Indigenous Australians that "demonstrated his true dexterity" as an artist. While, in Gilmour's opinion, some of the images hint at caricature, others, such as his images of Aborigines from the Shoalhaven district, "are disarming in their softness and sensitivity". Art critic Christopher Allen calls Rodius's Aboriginal portraits, which include Bungaree and his wife, Cora Gooseberry, honest, lucid, and respectful, not a caricature in any way. These works were widely disseminated by the artist as lithographs, sold at a price intended to "place these interesting copies within the reach of all classes".
Rodius suffered a stroke in the late 1850s, leaving him paralysed on one side, and on 9 April 1860 he died "of infirmity" at Sydney's Liverpool Hospital.
His works were shown in a group exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, in 2012 The State Library of New South Wales held the first ever retrospective of his works in 2023–2024.
See also
References
- Gray, Jocelyn (1967). "Charles Rodius". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 2. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943.
- ^ Allen, Christopher (21–22 October 2023). "How a handbag thief became Sydney's most celebrated artist". Review. The Weekend Australian. p. 12. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- Charles Rodius – Exhibition Guide. State Library of New South Wales. 2023. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-925831-28-3. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ Gilmour, Joanna (1 June 2010). "Fine and dandy". Portrait. No. 36. Canberra: National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- "Elegance in exile – Portrait drawings from colonial Australia". National Portrait Gallery (Australia). 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- "Exhibition – Charles Rodius". State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
External links
Media related to Charles Rodius at Wikimedia Commons- Works at the State Library of New South Wales
- Works held at the National Portrait Gallery (Australia)
