The Dublin Apprentice

The story begins in Tymon, County Dublin, where Charles Exshaw enters the world around 1715. He is born into a family of merchants and publishers, a household where the written and visual word holds weight. His brother Edward will eventually shape the Dublin Newsletter, while John establishes Exshaw's Gentleman's Magazine. Charles, however, seeks the tactile reality of pigment and plate. He finds his footing under the guidance of Francis Bindon, an architect and painter whose influence steers him toward the grander stages of Europe. There is a sense of momentum in his early years; he moves through the artistic hubs of the continent, perhaps even earning a medal for his drawing skills from the Académie Royale in Paris.

By 1755, Exshaw returns to Dublin, not merely as a student, but as a man of commerce and collection. He holds a sale on Dame Street, offering up sculptures, drawings, and paintings gathered during his travels in Europe. This period marks his transition from a mere practitioner to an art dealer, a man who understands the market as intimately as the medium.

The Continental Influence

The mid-18th century finds Exshaw moving through the great art capitals, absorbing the techniques of the masters. In 1757, he returns to Paris, this time as a pupil of Carle Vanloo. This apprenticeship is not merely about observation; it is about technical mastery. He begins to experiment with the combined method of etching and mezzotint engraving, producing works that capture the likeness of Vanloo's own children. His gaze then shifts toward Rome in 1759, where he etches the model of the Italian painter Carol Maratta directly from life.

His travels eventually lead him to Amsterdam, where the shadow of Rembrandt looms large. He studies the Dutch master's approach to light and shadow, translating these lessons into his own etchings. His output during this era is diverse and technically demanding:

• Etchings of "Potiphar's Wife making Accusation against Joseph"
• The 1760 plate "Christ with his Disciples at Sea in a Storm"
• Mezzotint engravings of heads of boors and peasants after Dutch masters
• A mezzotint engraving of "A Girl with a Basket of Cherries, and Two Boys" after Rubens

London and the Final Years

The final chapter of his career unfolds in London. After returning to Dublin in 1762 to hold further sales, he settles in the English capital. He attempts to establish a drawing school in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, following the model of the Caracci. It is a bold venture, yet it does not find the success he seeks. He remains a competitor in the high-stakes world of historical painting, vying for the Society of Arts' premium with a work titled The Black Prince entertaining the captive French Monarch after the Battle of Cressy.

Exshaw's life ends in early 1771, likely in London. Shortly after his death, in April, his collection of studies and pictures is dispersed through auction. He leaves behind a legacy defined by the precision of the engraver and the eye of the dealer, a man who navigated the shifting artistic landscapes of Dublin, Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam.