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A striking 1746 engraved memorial portrait of Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor, designed and engraved by Georg Sigmund Rösch in Munich.
Charles VII appears enthroned in armor beneath an elaborate canopy, surrounded by a dense program of imperial and funerary symbolism: crowned eagles, lions, putti, military standards, crowns, regalia, heraldic devices, the collar of the Golden Fleece, and personifications of Virtue and Glory. The monument bears the inscription “CAROL VII ROM IMP,” while the Latin text below celebrates the emperor’s virtues and posthumous fame.
The engraving was produced in connection with the elaborate commemorations following Charles VII’s death in 1745 and is associated with the Triumphus Virtutum in Funere Caroli VII imagery. Rösch identifies himself at lower right as both designer and engraver: “Georg. Sigm. Rösch delineav. et sculps. Mon.”
An unusually theatrical piece of mid-18th-century imperial printmaking, packed almost edge to edge with the visual language of monarchy, military power, dynastic legitimacy, and death.
Details
Title: Memorial Portrait of Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Artist/Engraver: Georg Sigmund Rösch
Place: Munich
Date: 1746
Medium: Engraving on laid paper
Subject: Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (1697–1745)
Reference: Lentner 232
Dimensions: Approximately 7 1/2 × 12 inches; engraved image occupies essentially the full sheet
Condition
Good antique condition with substantial evidence of age and use. Sheet has been closely trimmed around the engraved image. Scattered foxing and toning throughout, with old folds and creasing, edge wear, small losses and tears, including loss at the upper left corner. Additional old paper reinforcement or mounting remnants are visible along portions of the reverse. Despite these faults, the engraved image remains strong and highly legible, with excellent detail throughout. Please review photographs carefully for condition.
Topic
18th Century European History; Holy Roman Empire; Charles VII; Bavaria; Imperial Funeral; Monarchy; Heraldry; German Engraving; Georg Sigmund Rösch
Subject
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor; Georg Sigmund Rösch; House of Wittelsbach; Bavaria; Holy Roman Empire; Funeral and Memorial Prints
