Charles Buchel (Karl August Büchel) (1872–1950) was a British artist. Buchel was born in

Mainz, Germany Mainz (; see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in the Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region—Germany's second-larges ...

, but immigrated to England as a child. Buchel studied art at the

Royal Academy Schools The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. He was hired by the actor-manager, Sir

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...

in 1898, and worked with him for sixteen years.Charles Buchel, National Portrait Gallery Web page
/ref> Buchel painted several portraits of Tree, and also designed theatrical programmes and advertising posters for the theatre. He drew many illustrations for the theatre magazines of his day. Buchel is best remembered for having painted many of the stage stars of his era, including

Lily Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

and George Alexander. Buchel was married in Marylebone to Janet Edward Buyers in 1897. They had three sons: William Brian in 1900; Charles Anthony in 1903, who died as an infant; and Philip Stuart in 1906. While the exact date is unknown, Charles Buchel died in 1950 at 78 years old. His life work can be found at the

Museum of London London Museum (known from 1976 to 2024 as the Museum of London) is a museum in London, covering the history of the city from prehistoric to modern times, with a particular focus on social history. The Museum of London was formed in 1976 by ama ...

, the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

, the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

, the

Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a Grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...

, the V&A, The Wilson and elsewhere.

References

1872 births 1950 deaths 20th-century British painters British male painters 19th-century British male artists 20th-century British male artists Emigrants from the German Empire to the United Kingdom {{UK-painter-19thC-stub