Adolf Charlemagne

Biography

Adolf Iosifovich Charlemagne was born on December 8, 1826, in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. He descended from the French Charlemagne-Bode family. Throughout his life, he was known as a Russian painter and graphic artist active during the period of the “great reforms” and “counter-reforms.” Charlemagne specialized in genre paintings focused on historical and battle themes, and he also worked as a theater artist and ornamental decorator. Among his notable works are the design of playing cards called the “atlas deck” and the development of the uniforms for the court ‘Araps.’ Professionally, he was an academician and professor at the Imperial Academy of Arts. Adolf Iosifovich spent his entire life in Saint Petersburg, where he died on January 31, 1901.