Charles Rousseau Burney

Sitterback to top

• Charles Rousseau Burney (1747-1819), Musician; nephew and son-in-law of Charles Burney. Sitter in 1 portrait.

Artistback to top

• Edward Francisco Burney (1760-1848), Artist and cousin of Frances d'Arblay ('Fanny Burney'). Artist associated with 18 portraits, Sitter associated with 1 portrait.

This portraitback to top

The family of Dr Charles Burney, organist, composer and musicologist, formed a distinguished and tightly knit clan. Charles Rousseau Burney, the subject of this drawing, was the son of Robert Burney, Dr Burney's elder brother and a dancing-master at Worcester. In 1770 Charles married his cousin Esther and became Dr Burney's son-in-law as well as his nephew. A child-prodigy on harpsichord and violin, Charles is first recorded as a performer in December 1766 when he played a harpsichord concerto as part of a benefit performance of his uncle's adaptation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Le Devin du Village. It is probable that he was given his distinctive middle name in homage to the French philosopher. This portrait of Charles playing the violin was made by the artist and book illustrator Edward Francis Burney, Charles's younger brother.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Ingamells, John, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, 2004, p. 83
• Rogers, Malcolm, Master Drawings from the National Portrait Gallery, 1993 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 5 August to 23 October 1994), p. 61
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 91

Subject/Themeback to top

• Making music