He studied at the academies of Nuremberg and Munich, where he acquired a reputation for his miniatures. In 1846, he left Germany to see the world. After staying in Belgium, where he received many portrait commissions, he arrived in England the following year. The main reason for this visit was to investigate more closely into watercolour painting, a particularly English speciality that was as yet little practised on the Continent. After examining all the possibilities, he selected mineral colours for their quality of permanency, and evolved his own technique of applying pure colours in layers of wash, stippling with the point of a brush and then scratching out the colour to obtain highlights. It was during a convalescence, after his hand had been seriously damaged in a gun accident, that he formulated another original method, that of removing superfluous pigment, which had deliberately been laid on in extra strength, to arrive at the required tones. Such was Haag's ability that he soon became a member of the Old Watercolour Society, despite being a foreigner. However, it was his nationality as well as his competence that brought him to the notice of the Germanborn Prince Albert. He was commanded to attend Queen Victoria at her Scottish seat, Balmoral, where he painted two pictures for her.
In 1858, Haag made a trip to Cairo, Greece and Turkey, returning to Egypt that November. Here, he shared a house in the Coptic quarter of Cairo with Frederick Goodall, with whom he undertook many sketching expeditions in the desert. They entertained visiting artists and travellers, and gained quite a reputation for their hospitality. Jerusalem and the Holy Land were a must on any self-respecting traveller's list. Haag was no exception, and arrived there in time for the Easter festivals in 1859. At Queen Victoria's request, Sultan Abdul Medjid granted Haag a firman permitting him to paint the Dome of the Rock often erroneously called the mosque of Omar (p. 139). Jerusalem's Haram as Sherif, of great sanctity to Muslims with those of Mecca and Medina, had never been painted before. He was also able to sketch a group of worshippers in the dimly-lit cave beneath the Holy Rock. This watercolour was later made into a print. Haag stayed in Jerusalem until June, before proceeding on to Samaria, Galilee, Damascus and Palmyra. He was able to study the life and character of the desert tribes and made a number of watercolours.
After spending a second winter in Cairo, Haag returned to England in 1860. He divided his time between his London house and his studio in Oberweisel, on the Rhine. After his marriage, he decorated the studio in his new north London home in the Egyptian style. By now renowned for his Orientalist paintings, which commanded exceptionally high prices, he returned to Egypt in 1873 to collect fresh material. Here he was entertained by the khedive, through an introduction from the Prince of Wales. Over eighty of his works were exhibited in 1876 at the German Athenaeum in London, while his painting entitled Danger in the Desert, which had won a medal in Vienna in 1873, was shown at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878.
Appointed as court painter to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Haag won many awards and honours. His work can be seen in the museums of Blackburn, Bristol, Manchester, London (Victoria and Albert Museum) and in the Windsor Castle collection.
Literature: M. Philipps-Jackson, "Cairo in London, Carl Haags Studio", The Art Journal, London, 1883; R.L. Roget, History of the Old Watercolour Society, London, 1891; M.B. Huish, "Carl Haag, R.W.S.," British Water-colour Art, London, 1904.