Adolf Iosifovich Charlemagne, also known as Charlemagne-Bode or Bode-Charlemagne, was born on December 8, 1826, in St. Petersburg and died there on January 31, 1901. He was a renowned battle, historical, and genre painter, an academician, and the author of the famous playing card design known as the satin deck. Charlemagne also created scenographies and developed the form of court Africans.

He came from a family of architects and was the grandson of the French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Bode-Charlemagne, who arrived in Russia from Rouen during the reign of Catherine II. He received his education at the school of the Lutheran Church of St. Peter in St. Petersburg and began studying at the Academy of Arts in 1848. There, he initially studied historical painting under the guidance of Fyodor Antonovich Bruni and later battle painting in the class of Professor Bogdan Pavlovich Villevalde.

During his studies, Charlemagne received several awards: in 1852, a small silver medal for the sketch "Cavalry Guards in Krasnoe Selo"; in 1853, a large silver medal for the painting "The Feat of Private Carabinier Gavrilov of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment in the Battle of Austerlitz"; and in 1854, a small gold medal for the work "Episode from the Hungarian Campaign of 1848." In 1855, he was awarded a large gold medal for the painting "Field Marshal Suvorov at the Summit of St. Gotthard," which is kept in the Gatchina Palace and Park Museum-Reserve.

After that, Charlemagne went to Munich, where he created the paintings "The Triumphant Meeting of Field Marshal Suvorov in Milan in April 1799," "Peter I Publicly Announces the Conclusion of Peace with Sweden," and "Suvorov's Last Night's Lodging in Switzerland in the Village of Elm in the Canton of Glarus." For these works, he received the title of academician in 1859. He then visited Paris, where he studied the "Pompadour" style based on Versailles samples, as well as Stuttgart and other cities in Germany, returning to St. Petersburg in 1861.

Upon his return, he created altarpieces and other images for Catholic churches at the Page Corps and on the Vyborg Side, as well as ceilings and wall panels for the homes of Prince Meshchersky in Moscow and A. Polezhaev in St. Petersburg. In 1867, he presented the painting "Catherine II in Falconet's Workshop" at the academic exhibition, for which he received the title of professor. Empress Maria Alexandrovna Romanova purchased this work, which solidified his position in St. Petersburg's social and artistic circles.

From 1871, Charlemagne worked as an artist for the expedition for the procurement of state papers and was invited as a consultant to the drawing workshops of the Main Intendant's Office, creating watercolors of military scenes, celebrations, and maneuvers for albums for Emperor Alexander II. In 1873, he received the title and position of court painter, but it was the satin cards that brought him true fame, becoming popular in every household.

Charlemagne passed away in 1901 in St. Petersburg and was buried at the Vyborg Roman Catholic Cemetery.