Angelika Kauffmann Painting by Paul Meijering

About "Angelika Kauffmann Painting"

by Paul Meijering

About the artwork

Realistic acrylic painting of Angelika Kauffmann or Maria Anna Angelica Kauffmann (Chur, 30 October 1741 - Rome, 5 November 1807), a painter originally from Switzerland or Austria who also worked in England and Italy, painted by the Dutch fine artist Paul Meijering - the original painting is 90 x 120 cm

Angelika Kauffmann was born the daughter of a mediocre fresco painter, Johann Josef Kauffmann, who decorated several palaces and churches. In 1754, the family moved to Milan, where Angelika attracted attention with her pastel portraits at the age of 15. She grew up on Lake Como. Her mother taught her English, Italian and French. She was considered a child prodigy and amazed bishops with her singing and drawn portraits. After her mother's death in 1757, father and daughter moved to his native Bregenzerwald, where both worked on painting the parish church. From 1762, they visited cities such as Bologna, Florence and Rome to study classical antiquity and copy the old masters. She became a member of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome . She made the acquaintance of Lady Wentworth in Venice, who introduced her to upper-class English circles and with whom she travelled to London in 1766 where she made portraits of individuals and groups. She lived in England until 1781 and Joshua Reynolds is one of her closest friends.

In 1767, she secretly married an alleged Swedish count, but the marriage turned out to be a farce. Frederick de Horn was an impostor who ran off with her savings. Reynolds caught her after this soon dissolved marriage. Kauffmann and Reynolds became the subject of gossip and backbiting. In 1781, she married the painter Antonio Zucchi. Together with her father, the couple travelled to Rome. They moved into the former home of the painter Anton Raphael Mengs. The couple received famous artists like Goethe, and noble guests like Emperor Joseph II. When Angelika died in 1807, she was buried with a grand tribute.