Charles Sykes enjoyed a broad education as an artist and from 1902 became known to the general public as a draftsman and illustrator of the exclusive magazine 'The Car Illustrated'. He also devoted himself to sculpture, exhibiting his work at the annual exhibitions of the Royal Academy in London and at the Paris Salon. In 1911 his oil paintings graced the 80-page sales catalog of Rolls-Royce's Silver Ghost. In the same year, he was given the most famous assignment of his career: designing a radiator mascot for this car. It became the famous figure 'The Spirit of Ectasy', which would then be used for all Rolls-Royces. Until 1948, every - silver-plated - mascot was cast and signed by Sykes himself. He also made sculptures of figures, figure groups and nudes.