BERGHE, Charles-Auguste van den

French painter of Flemish origin. He was the son of a successful history painter, Augustin van den Berghe who had left the Austrian Netherlands of his birth to make his career in France, winning the prix de Rome in 1786. Charles, born in France, studied first with his father then Girodet and Gros, and in Rome with Guérin. He was a regular and prolific Salon exhibitor, showing for the first time in 1822, a classical history subject (his first and only) and a series of portraits which proved to be his principal source of income for the rest of his life, winning a 2nd class medal in 1833.

He spent several years in Rome, painting views of the city and its surroundings in a highly polished style, and Italian subjects in the manner of Leopold Robert, portraying brigands and others in typical costume. These were sent back to Paris and proved popular with the public, while on his return in 1833 he established himself as a successful portraitist of the haute-bourgeoisie. Several portraits were shown posthumously at the Salon of 1853, as well as a Roman Brigands, while two years later a literary subject, Major Heyward and the Hurons (from the Last of the Mohiccans) first exhibited in 1835 was represented.