Charlotte de Rothschild

Charlotte de Rothschild (1825–1899) was a French pianist, composer, painter and art collector. Born in Paris, she was the daughter of James and Betty de Rothschild and married her cousin Nathaniel in 1842. She studied piano with Frédéric Chopin, who dedicated his Fourth Ballade and the Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2, to her. In 1860 she published four piano pieces with Maho under her married name, Baronne Nathaniel de Rothschild. Her interests extended to painting: she studied with Hercule Trachel, Nélie Jacquemart and Eugène Lami and exhibited in Paris and London. She also developed an important art collection and supported cultural institutions. Her home belonged to the artistic and musical world of nineteenth-century Paris, bringing together her activities as a musician, patron and visual artist.