Johann Heinrich Ramberg

Johann Heinrich Ramberg was a German painter and printmaker.
Ramberg was born at Hanover to a father who fostered his artistic talent. He first showed his talent by drawings of scenes in the Harz Mountains. These became known to George III, King of Great Britain, his sovereign, since he was also Elector of Hanover. In 1781 he was introduced to George III and made "many humorous sketches and caricatures" for him. George induced Ramberg to go to London, where he provided support. Ramberg may have been a student of Joshua Reynolds and Francesco Bartolozzi; in November 1781, he studied with Benjamin West at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1782 he began exhibiting at the Royal Academy and in 1784 he was awarded a silver medal for his life drawing. In 1784 Ramberg drew the exhibition itself, showing Reynolds and the Prince of Wales, as well as several other pieces. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, "[t]hese works are of interest to historians for their record of exhibitions in the Great Room of the Royal Academy in the late eighteenth century."