Angelika Kaufman. Famous women

Angelika (Angelika) Maria Anna Katharina Kaufmann (1741 - 1807)
German artist, graphic artist, representative of neoclassicism and one
one of the most talented women of the Enlightenment.
Very early she gained wide European fame and was a member
Florentine Academy of Fine Arts, member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome,
French and British Royal Academy, Venetian Academy.
In 1810, her biography was written by the famous Italian historian Giovanni
Battista de Rossi, since then her life has more than once become the subject of novels.
She was admired by many contemporaries, including such connoisseurs
beautiful, like Goethe and Winckelmann.
Derzhavin wrote an ode “To Angelica Kaufman” (beginning 1795):

The painting is glorious,
Kaufman, friend of the muses!
If your brush is influenced
Above liveliness, feeling, taste,
And, having written off the Danaans, the ancients
We have goddesses and red wives,
Experience in your priceless
You could paint the paintings...

Nature generously endowed Angelika Kaufman with the talent of a painter,
musical abilities, extraordinary intelligence and beauty.
But, despite exceptional talent and early recognition,
Angelica's life was not cloudless.

She was born on October 30, 1741 in Chur (Switzerland) into a poor family
German artist Joseph Kaufmann. The girl started early
draw and from an early age helped her father, and at the age of eleven she received her
first order. When Angelika turned thirteen, she ended up in
Italy, where I became acquainted with the paintings of old masters. Here she is
finally confirmed in her decision to become an artist, not a musician.

A. Kaufman Allegory of Poetry and Music

Angelica Kaufman. Self-portrait Hermitage

From the self-portrait a cute thing looks at the viewer,
the calm face of a woman, enlivened by a barely noticeable smile. But why
there is so much sadness in the face of the artist, who suffered during her lifetime
great success and recognition? The reason lies in her female destiny, complete
disappointments, deceit and resentment.
In Rome, where she moved with her father after the death of her mother, Angelica
met John Joachim Winckelmann, an archaeologist and
German art historian who had enormous influence
on modern minds. His finds during excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum
opened ancient art to the admiring girl and guided her
artistic worldview towards classicism,
Finally, she had her first outside teacher.
Winckelmann spoke extremely highly of
to a gifted artist: “My portrait for a friend was made by an exceptional
personality, a German artist. She is very strong in portraits... Her
name: Angelica Kaufman."

A. Kaufman Portrait of I.I. Winkelmann

Angelika Kaufman lived in Italy for many years,
from 1765 she became a member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome
and three years later - the French Royal Academy,
becoming the first female academic.
Imbued with the ideas of art historian I.I. Winckelmann, she created
many works on ancient subjects.

Judgment of Paris

Venus persuades Helen to fall in love with Paris

(Plot: during the trial, Paris chose Venus (Aphrodite) as the most
the most beautiful of the three goddesses (Hera, Athena Aphrodite).
Since then, Paris became Aphrodite's favorite, and she began to help him in everything,
no matter what he does.
Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful of mortal women, Helen, as his wife,
daughter of the thunderer Zeus and Leda. She is trying to persuade the beautiful Elena
love Paris)

Virgil reading the Aeneid to Octavia and Octavian Augustus

(Plot: Augustus and two maids are busy with the unconscious Octavia,
sister of Emperor Augustus, who, during the reading of Canto VI, heard the name
his early deceased son Marcel)

Farewell to Abelard and Heloise

Sappho (Sappho)

Cumaean Sibyl

Portrait of Countess Skavronskaya

In Rome, the girl met many Londoners and,
carried away by their stories about their hometown,
decided to try my luck in Foggy Albion.

Shakespeare

In July 1766, Angelica arrived in London, where real success awaited her.
“The Queen has only arrived two days ago. As soon as she feels better, I will
introduced to her,” the girl wrote to her father just a month after
arrival. The following summer, old man Kaufman moved in with his daughter. Almost
Angelica lived in London for twenty years. Here she painted portraits
English Queen, Danish King Christian
and many other portraits and paintings, for which in 1768
the newly founded Royal Academy of Arts in London accepted
her into your members. There was no end to customers.
The faces in her paintings, shrouded in a haze of mystery, are full, if not
beauty, then at least charm.

Portrait of an unknown woman

Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Foster

The salon artist, Angelica Kaufman, was also successful as a woman,
conquering men with a beautiful figure and fresh complexion
and naive, lively eyes.

Many contemporaries noted the artist’s magical look and her originality.
The president of the English Academy even drew attention to Angelica
arts - Reynolds.
He invited the girl to share his fate, wealth and glory.
But Angelica was frightened by Reynolds' genius, she understood that
a wife should own such a talent entirely, but it has not yet faded in her
desire for self-affirmation.

A. Kaufman Portrait of D. Reynolds

Offended by the refusal, the artist took advantage of the confusion in the documents
the illegitimate son of Count Horn, Frederick Brandt. He provided support
to the unconfirmed imaginary heir and introduced him to Angelika
as his friend and count. The young man was handsome, well-mannered, and smart.
The young people fell in love and got married, and then a vengeful
Reynolds exposed the deception. This sensation caused a lot of noise. For appropriation
under someone else's name, F. Brandt was arrested. Angelika could not forgive the deception
and two months later, in February 1768, having used all connections,
got a divorce.
Having experienced a personal tragedy, the artist withdrew into herself and stopped attending social events.
She was cured of a serious nervous disorder by a doctor named...
Jean-Paul Marat. The future “Friend of the People” was then living in exile
in London, where he practiced medicine and wrote political and
philosophical treatises.

Unknown artist Jean-Paul Marat

In 1780 she returned to Italy,
where she found herself a brilliant reception everywhere, she married, at the insistence of her father,
Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi (Lucca) and constantly revolved in
circle of artists and scientists, becoming a member of the Venetian Academy in 1781.
At first they lived at the court of Maria Carolina in Naples,
then we moved to Rome.
Her new residence - Rome - gave her a meeting - with Goethe.

A. Kaufman Goethe

They became close friends, talked about art, went to exhibitions.
The only house that the poet visited in Rome belonged to Kaufman.
Goethe did not miss a single musical and literary evening in her salon.
He saw how this kindred spirit, this fashionable and well-paid
the artist was lonely and bored in the company of the mediocre, stingy,
old husband, but did not complain about fate.

Hope

The poet highly appreciated the professionalism, talent and rich inner world of this
interesting woman and he was the first to read the lines he had just written. This
meeting and friendship warmed the soul of the aging Angelika for a long time.

Self-portrait

The gallant age was fading into the past. Together with him she grew old and slowly faded away
Angelica Kaufman. Lonely, forgotten by everyone, she died in the arms of her
uncle on November 5, 1807 in Rome.

Embroiderer

Conversation of Jesus Christ with the Samaritan woman

The entire Academy of St. Luke saw her off on her last journey, and behind the coffin, as if at
at Raphael's funeral, they carried the last two paintings painted by her hand. IN
A bust of Angelika Kaufmann was subsequently installed in the Roman pantheon -
a beautiful woman and a talented artist.
Just one of the self-portraits of famous artists kept
in the Uffizi World Gallery, owned by a woman - Angelika Kaufman.
But this is about her, about Angelika Kaufman, the great German poet J.-W. Goethe
said: “Her eyes are so intelligent, her knowledge of the mechanism of art is so great,
her sense of beauty is so deep, but she remains so incomprehensible
modest..."

Florence Uffizi Gallery

The work of Angelika Kaufman attracted high-ranking customers from
different European countries, including Russia, where her works became
known thanks to Prince N.B. Yusupov, a lover and connoisseur of art,
who showered the artist with generous orders.

Portrait of Countess Chernysheva with her daughter

Hygeia - goddess of health

The Hermitage houses eleven paintings by A. Kaufman.
Angelika's personal life is very similar to a ladies' novel, over which you can
shed tears. Such a book - "Angelika Kaufman" - really was
written by Leon de Wailly in 1838. and published in Paris and Brussels on
French. Moreover, one of the most dramatic moments of her
biography formed the basis of V. Hugo’s drama “Ruy Blas”.

KAUFMAN ANGELICA

(b. 1741 – d. 1807)

Famous German artist and graphic artist, representative of classicism. Member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome (1765), the French Royal Academy (1768), the English Academy of Arts (1768), the Venetian Academy.

Only one of the self-portraits of famous artists stored in the Uffizi World Gallery belongs to a woman. Her name means little to the current generation of art lovers. But it’s about her, about Angelika Kaufmann, that the great German poet J. V. Goethe said: “Her eyes are so smart, her knowledge of the mechanism of art is so great, her sense of beauty is so deep, and she remains so incomprehensibly modest...” Smart, modest and charming... From the self-portrait, the woman’s sweet, calm face, enlivened by a barely noticeable smile, looks at the viewer. But why is there so much sadness in the face of the artist, who experienced great success and recognition during her lifetime? The reason lies in her female destiny, full of disappointments, deception and resentment. Angelika's personal life is very similar to a ladies' novel, over which you can shed tears. Such a book - “Angelika Kaufmann” - was indeed written by Leon de Vailly in 1838 and published in Paris and Brussels in French. In addition, one of the most dramatic moments of her biography formed the basis of V. Hugo’s drama “Ruy Blas”.

Angelika was born in 1741 in the small Swiss town of Chur (Chur). A year later, her father, a poor German artist Johann Joseph Kaufmann, moved to Italy with his wife and tiny daughter, where, moving from city to city, he painted small churches and made commissioned portraits. God gifted Angelika with beauty, intelligence, a beautiful voice, a kind disposition and enormous artistic talent. The father quickly appreciated his daughter's abilities and, although he himself was a weak artist, became her first and only teacher. From the age of six, Angelika studied and worked with the intensity and perseverance of an adult man, at nine she tried to paint in oils, and at eleven she completed the first commissioned portrait of Bishop Navroni in pastel. And often at the gates of rich mansions one could see a pretty girl with a folder of drawings that she sold to help her family with money.

In 1754, the Kaufmans moved to Milan, and soon the palace nobility lined up to order their portraits from the young artist. Angelika, who had a keen sense of the trends of the gallant age, depicted doll-like beauties in her paintings in the form of shepherdesses in the lap of nature or in cozy golden boudoirs. She enjoyed the worship and early fame, but she also worked like a convict. The fact that young Kaufman, the only woman, was allowed to copy the works of the great masters at the Milan Gallery speaks volumes about the professional recognition of her talent.

After the death of her mother in 1757, the father took his daughter to his homeland in Schwanzenberg (the territory of present-day Austria). But here no one was interested in gallant paintings, and Angelika painted frescoes for the parish church. She then worked at the court of Count Monfort, and in 1763 she and her father moved to Rome, where she found herself in an artistic environment fascinated by antiquity. The famous German archaeologist and art historian I. I. Winkelman had a huge influence on the formation of Angelika’s talent. His finds during excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum revealed ancient art to the admiring girl and directed her artistic worldview towards classicism. Winckelmann highly appreciated Kaufmann’s talent: “My portrait for a friend was made by an exceptional person, a German artist. She is very strong in portraits...” The ceremonial portrait of an archaeologist (1764) is considered by art critic Hanne Gagel to be more subtle and psychological than other images of Winckelmann performed by men, since it “emphasizes not so much the official facade as the internal properties of the person depicted.”

Kaufman received full professional recognition in 1765, when she was accepted as a member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome, and three years later - of the Royal French Academy.

In 1766, Angelica, having secured numerous invitations, moved to London. The fifteen years spent in England were the most fruitful of her life. Kaufman's success and fame were no less than those of such famous English painters as Gainsborough and Reynolds. In addition, a pretty girl, a wonderful singer, musician and artist, was rich, independent, accepted in high society and had no end to suitors. The President of the English Academy of Arts, Reynolds, offered Angelica to enter into a brilliant alliance, but she refused him. Further events are more like a detective novel. It was they who later served as the plot for the drama “Ruy Blas”. Offended by the refusal, the artist took advantage of the confusion in the documents of Count Horn's illegitimate son, Frederick Brandt. He supported the unconfirmed imaginary heir and introduced him to Angelica as his friend and count. The young man was handsome, well-mannered, and smart. The young people fell in love and got married, and then the vengeful Reynolds revealed the deception. This sensation caused a lot of noise. F. Brandt was arrested for taking someone else's name. Angelika could not forgive the deception and two months later, in February 1768, using all her connections, she received a divorce. The shock ended in a violent fever. Kaufman became unsociable, but still did not leave London. She actively worked there for another thirteen years, receiving numerous orders and attentions from all sides. The highest recognition of her talent was the fact that the artist was elected in 1768 as a member of the English Academy of Arts.

A personal tragedy alienated Angelika from high society; now she communicated only with a narrow circle of intellectuals and continued to work hard. Her elderly father was very worried that her daughter, after his death, remained completely alone and defenseless. And he insisted in 1781 on her marriage to the mediocre Venetian artist and engraver Antonio Zucchi (Zucchi). With him, Angelica returned to Italy. At first they lived in Naples, where Kaufman worked at the court of Maria Carolina. But very soon she got tired of creating beautiful, similar, custom-made portraits of courtiers, and in 1782 the artist moved to Rome.

Kaufman's pictorial heritage is great and has not been truly studied. She was a versatile artist, writing on mythological and biblical, allegorical and historical subjects. Paintings on mythological themes were not always successful for her, since they required the ability to paint nudes, and Angelika did not receive knowledge of anatomy - neither female, nor especially male. The canvas “Cupid and Psyche” (1792) looks sickly sweet and lifeless. There is not the slightest hint of eroticism in the fully clothed Psyche and Cupid with angel-like wings. But where the plot did not require the depiction of naked bodies, the artist was distinguished by her subtle modeling of the composition, virtuoso execution and an excellent sense of color (“Virgil reading the Aeneid to Octavia and Augustus”, 1788, “Venus persuades Helen to love Paris”, 1790 ., “Ovid in exile writes “Metamorphoses””, 1790). Although the term “illustrator” is not applicable to Kaufman’s work, she created many of her works based on literary works (“The Farewell of Abelard and Heloise” - based on the poem by A. Podp; “Mad Maria” - based on the plot of the novel “A Sentimental Journey” by L. Stern in France and Italy").

Kaufman was interested in encaustic painting (painting with wax paints) and was excellent at this complex technique of wax painting, performed using hot methods and melted paints. She was an excellent engraver and worked a lot in the field of furniture and interior design, created complex graphic patterns for painting dishes, and was a true master of portraiture (“Portrait of von Bauer,” 1786; “Portrait of Countess Protasova with her nieces,” 1788). Experts rate “Portrait of N. I. Pleshcheeva” as one of the artist’s best works. It combines airy charm and that spirituality that only great talent can convey. Among the most subtle and psychological images is “Portrait of J. V. Goethe” (1787–1788), although Kaufman herself believed that she was unable to convey all the diversity of the poet’s creative genius and left the work unfinished.

Angelika met Goethe in Rome, and they became close friends, talked about art, and went to exhibitions. The only house the poet visited in Rome belonged to Kaufman. Goethe did not miss a single musical and literary evening in her salon. He saw how this kindred spirit, this fashionable and well-paid artist, was lonely and bored in the company of a mediocre, stingy, old husband, but did not complain about her fate. The poet highly appreciated the professionalism, talent and rich inner world of this interesting woman and was the first to read the lines he had just written to her. This friendship warmed the soul of the aging Angelika for a long time.

Kaufmann died on November 5, 1807 in Rome. The entire Academy of St. Luke accompanied her on her last journey, and behind the coffin, as at Raphael’s funeral, they carried the last two paintings painted by her hand. A bust of Angelika Kaufman, a beautiful woman and talented artist, was subsequently installed in the Roman Pantheon.

From the book Genius of War Skobelev [“White General”] author Runov Valentin Alexandrovich

Kaufman Konstantin Petrovich Descended from Austrian nobles who, for their adherence to the teachings of Luther, were expelled from their homeland and at the beginning of the 18th century found refuge in Russia, serving its emperors. Konstantin Petrovich was also registered at the age of fourteen

From the book Adultery author Ivanova Natalya Vladimirovna

Angelika Kaufmann Angelika Kaufmann is a famous German artist and graphic artist. She was born into the family of the artist John Joseph Kaufman in the small French town of Tours. My father did not like to sit still, so the family moved often. When Angelica was 11 months old,

From the book Women Who Changed the World author Sklyarenko Valentina Markovna

Kaufmann Angelika (b. 1741 - d. 1807) Famous German artist and graphic artist, representative of classicism. Member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome (1765), the French Royal Academy (1768), the English Academy of Arts (1768), the Venetian Academy. Only one of

From the book Popular History - from electricity to television author Kuchin Vladimir

Kaufman Angelika(1741-1807) - an outstanding German artist and graphic artist, representative of classicism, member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome (1765), the French Royal Academy (1768), the English Academy of Arts (1798), and the Venetian Academy.

Angelika (Angelika) Kaufmann was born on October 30, 1741 in the city of Chur, canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, into the family of a poor, mediocre German artist, Johann Joseph Kaufmann, who made his living through private commissions and paintings of provincial churches. The lifestyle and work of the head of the family required frequent moving from city to city and from country to country. In 1742, the family moved to Italy, a country with which Angelika would be associated for many years of her creative life.
Generously gifted by nature with many talents, a sharp mind and amazing beauty, Angelika began to draw very early. Seeing what extraordinary talent his daughter was endowed with, Johann Kaufmann seriously began teaching her the basics of painting, “putting his hand in”, developing a natural eye, and introducing her to the secrets and features of the profession, in fact becoming its first and only teacher.
From the age of six, the girl was already studying and working full-time, using pencil, charcoal and pastel, at the age of nine she painted her first work in oil, and in 1752 she completed the first portrait commission of Bishop Navroni in pastel. The portrait turned out to be very successful and the little artist’s works began to be in great demand among wealthy customers.
Angelika Kaufman’s first acquaintance with the works of the “old” masters occurred in 1754 in Milan, where in a local gallery she was allowed to copy old paintings, honing her skills and gaining much-needed confidence in her creative powers for the young artist. This was a sign of recognition of her talent, since women in those days were not allowed to copy paintings in Italian museums. She was the first and only female artist to paint her self-portrait for the famous collection of self-portraits in the Uffizi Gallery, which can still be admired today.
Her talent was recognized, and for the young artist this was very significant. There was no end to orders. Her works were wildly popular. The court nobility was ready to line up for the works of the young artist and for the right to order her portrait. Meeting the wishes of her customers, Angelika depicted them in her works as shepherdesses with doll-like faces or naive inhabitants of cozy boudoirs.
In 1757, Kaufmann Sr. took Angelika to his native Schwarzenberg, where she painted frescoes for the local parish church.
In 1763, my father brought Angelika to Rome, which in those years was completely “imbued” with the spirit of antiquity, which was greatly facilitated by the activities of the famous archaeologist Johann Joachim Winckelmann, who carried out excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum - two huge ancient cities with beautiful palaces and dwellings decorated with frescoes and sculptures.
Angelika did not remain aloof from the general hobby... Her fascination and admiration for antiquity began with the artist’s acquaintance in Rome with Winckelmann himself in 1764, when she painted his portrait. The ceremonial portrait of an archaeologist by Angelika Kaufman is very subtle and psychological, fully emphasizing the inner world of the famous archaeologist.
Later, Angelika studied the works of ancient authors with great interest and made pencil drawings from ancient sculptures. The influence of Winckelmann's archaeological achievements and his findings on Kaufman's work is very great. Angelika was delighted with the archaeologist's findings during excavations in Pompeii and Herculaneum, and they, in turn, determined the direction of movement of her artistic worldview towards classicism.
In 1765, Angelika Kaufman received full professional recognition - her 24-year-old artist was accepted as a member of the Academy of St. Luke, and in 1768 Kaufman was accepted as a member of the French Royal Academy, where there had not been a single female artist before her.
In 1766, Angelika Kaufman, having numerous invitations in hand, moved to London, where she lived and worked until 1781. This period turned out to be very successful in the artist’s creative biography. She was accompanied by success and fame in the English capital. Her popularity was no less than the popularity of the famous Gainsborough and Reynolds, and her wealth, beauty, sharp mind and outstanding musical abilities opened the doors to the high society of the English aristocracy, where she immediately became an enviable bride. The President of the English Academy of Arts himself, Reynolds, proposed marriage to Angelica, but was rejected.
Angelika Kaufman married the illegitimate son of Count Horn, Frederick Brandt, a handsome and intelligent young man, but the marriage was unsuccessful and broke up. The consequences of the divorce had a serious impact on the artist’s health; she suffered from a fever, became withdrawn into herself and stopped attending social events...
Kaufman remained in London and continued to work hard and fruitfully for another thirteen years. She left high society and continued to communicate only with a narrow circle of select intellectuals, while continuing to receive numerous orders from admirers of her talent. The highest recognition of her talent in the United Kingdom was the fact that she was elected a member of the English Academy of Arts in 1798.
In 1781, Angelica's father insisted on her remarriage, this time to the Venetian engraver and mediocre artist Antonio Zucchi, with whom the artist subsequently returned to Italy.
The work of Angelika Kaufman was well known in Russia. Ekaterina Dashkova, a Russian princess and confidante of Empress Catherine the Great, congratulated the latter on her victory over the Turks with a letter and a valuable gift - a painting by Angelika Kaufman depicting a beautiful Greek woman.
Also a big fan of Angelika Kaufman’s work was Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (1750 - 1831) - statesman, diplomat (1783-1789), art lover, one of the largest collectors and philanthropists in Russia, owner of the Arkhangelskoye and Vasilyevskoye estates near Moscow, who showered the artist with generous orders . The State Hermitage collection contains eleven paintings by Angelika Kaufman.
Kaufman was one of the few painters who seriously engaged in painting with wax paints (encaustic). The artist was successful in working in this complex technique of wax painting, performed using the hot method and molten paints.
In Rome, Angelika met the great Goethe, who enjoyed attending musical and literary evenings in the artist’s salon. Goethe highly valued the highest professionalism, natural talent and amazing inner world of this unique woman. She was an excellent conversationalist, a subtle connoisseur of beauty, and it was to her that Goethe first read his fresh, just written lines. This friendship was very important for Angelika; communication with the great German poet enriched her inner world and warmed the soul of the aging artist.
The works of Angelika Kaufman were replicated and popularized in Europe using the dotted line technique by the famous engravers of that time, Francesco Bartolozzi and Gavriil Skorodumov.
Her admirer was also Etienne Maurice Falconet, who in 1774 in St. Petersburg, while working on the monument to Peter I, shared with the English traveler Nathaniel William Rexell his impressions of Kaufman’s works and reported that he was the owner of almost all (!) of her works. Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I, copied the artist’s works in the form of miniatures on glass. Engravings from Kaufman's works served as a model for the creation of sculpture. In particular, they were used by the sculptor Fedot Ivanovich Shubin (1740-1805), the most significant Russian sculptor of the 18th century, a representative of classicism, when working on a series of medallions to decorate the Marble Hall of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg.
On November 5, 1807, in Rome at the age of 66, Angelika Kaufman died of a cold. The entire Academy of St. Luke saw off the artist on her final journey, and behind the coffin, as at the funeral of the great Raphael, her last two paintings were carried. A bust of Angelika Kaufman, a beautiful woman and talented artist, was subsequently installed in the Roman Pantheon. They remembered her for some time, and then... forgot. The last tribute to her work was paid in Austria. Since the 1970s, in this country, until the introduction of a new currency - the euro - a 100 shilling note was in circulation. It depicted a portrait of Angelika Kaufman by Reynolds.

The history of world painting contains very few female names. Among them is Angelika Kaufman, one of the most talented and educated women of her century, the Age of Enlightenment.
It was about her, about Angelika Kaufmann, that the great German thinker and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: “Her eyes are so smart, her knowledge of the mechanism of art is so great, her sense of beauty is so deep, and she remains so incomprehensibly modest...”
Beautiful, talented, smart, modest and charming.....

Based on materials: Wikipedia, Encyclopedia of World Art - Vilnius, UAB “Bestiary”, 2008, Large illustrated encyclopedia “Masters of World Painting” St. Petersburg, LLC “SZKEO”, 2011, Information portal Art Planet Small Bay - art and historical museum. “Popular art encyclopedia ." Ed. Polevoy V.M.; M.: Publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1986. Dolgopolov I.V. Masters and masterpieces: In 3 volumes. - M: Fine Arts 1987. - T. 2.

In accordance with Article 1282 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the works of this author have passed into the public domain

Maria Anna Angelika/Angelica Katharina Kauffmann (German: Maria Anna Angelika/Angelica Katharina Kauffmann, October 30, 1741, Kure, Free State of the Three Unions - November 5, 1807, Rome) - German artist.

The daughter of the artist Johann Joseph Kaufmann, she grew up in Vorarlberg, Austria. She independently learned several languages, read a lot, and was fond of music (a competition between poetry, music and painting is a frequent subject of Kaufman’s paintings). She started drawing at the age of 6, and from the age of 12 she worked as a professional painter. In 1754 she visited Milan with her father, and from 1764 she lived in Italy (Rome, Venice). In Rome she met John Joachim Winckelmann, a German art historian, who became her first outside teacher.

In 1766, at the suggestion of the English ambassador and his wife, she left for London, where she lived for 15 years. Reynolds painted her portrait (1766), and she responded by painting a portrait of Reynolds. She was among the founders of the Royal Academy of Arts and participated in the painting of St. Paul's Cathedral. In 1781 she returned to Rome. I became friends with Goethe there and painted his portrait. Her last exhibition took place in Rome in 1797.

Kaufman's painting (portraits, biblical, historical, literary and ancient mythological subjects) develops within the framework of classicism.

Very early she gained wide European fame. In 1762 she became a member of the Florentine Academy of Arts, from 1765 - a member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome, and from 1768 - the French and British Royal Academy. In 1810, her biography was written by the famous Italian historian Giovanni Battista de Rossi, and since then her life has repeatedly become the subject of novels. The artist was also famous in contemporary Russia; the ode “To Angelica Kaufman” (1798) belongs to Derzhavin. The Hermitage has several of her significant paintings:

Kaufman's works were replicated and thus popularized in Europe by engravers F. Bartolozzi and G. Skorodumov using the dotted line technique (most suitable for conveying the nuances of a painting). Her admirer was Falcone (who was also a friend and admirer of Reynolds' work). In 1774, while working on the monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg, Falcone shared with the English traveler Rexell his impressions of the artist’s works and said that “he is the owner of almost all of her works.” The Grand Duchess and then Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I, painted miniatures on glass from the artist’s works.

Engravings from Kaufman's works served as a model for the creation of sculpture. In particular, they were used by the sculptor F. Shubin, working on a series of medallions to decorate the Marble Hall of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg.

The Kaufman crater on Venus is named in her honor.

This is part of a Wikipedia article used under the CC-BY-SA license. Full text of the article here →

When a woman is gifted with so many talents and beauty, like our heroine, she rarely manages to achieve anything worthwhile. However, the name of Angelica Kaufman says a lot to true connoisseurs of painting, because at one time she was a very famous artist, ordering a portrait of whom was considered prestigious.

The girl was born into the family of the German artist John Joseph Kaufmann in a run-down inn in the small French town of Tours, because the father was prone to changing places. At eleven months old, Angelica was transported to Italy, where the family finally settled for a long time.

Chur Aufgang Kathedrale

The girl’s richly gifted nature manifested itself very early. From the age of six, Angelica began to draw, and it was difficult to resist picking up a coal or a brush, spending whole days in her father’s workshop. John Joseph Kaufman was not distinguished by any special talents as a painter and sought to make up for what he lacked in nature with work; from childhood he trained his daughter to do exhausting work every day.

Self-portrait

Angelica was extremely attached to her father, because he replaced her with girlfriends, children's entertainment, and teachers. For hours the girl practiced painting, and sometimes this small beautiful creature with a folder of drawings came to rich villas to sell her works and help the family. It was difficult to refuse such a charming child, and one day even the local bishop agreed to pose for Angelica.

Self-portrait

Old Kaufman was well aware that his daughter’s talent would allow her to achieve much more than he himself had achieved, and therefore spared neither money nor effort to polish Angelica’s talent. First, they took a long trip around Italy. According to her father, this blessed country could become a source of inspiration for the girl, as well as for the great masters of the Renaissance. Secondly, the old man still relied on exhausting work and did not allow Angelica a single hour of entertainment. The girl was a submissive daughter and only once did her nature rebel. Of course, the reader will guess if he thinks it was love. Wandering around the world, but leading a secluded life due to her father’s prohibitions, Angelica still managed to meet a young musician.

Self-portrait

The girl was gifted by nature with an amazing voice. The guy begged Angelica to quit painting, his tyrant father and devote herself to singing, to leave with him. For the girl, days of painful doubts came. For the first time, she could not consult with her father; for the first time, turmoil and reluctance to work entered her measured life. Angelica could not solve this life problem herself and went to her confessor. Of course, he advised her to stay with her father, forget about the sinful career of a singer and choose a more noble path as a painter. From the days of falling in love, what remains in the artist’s work is a painting depicting Orpheus trying to lead Eurydice away from Hell.

The Artist in the Character of Design Listening to the Inspiration of Poetry.

She gave the features of a forever abandoned loved one to her picturesque hero. There is another painting: Angelica herself is between two muses - Music and Painting, both call her, but she is leaning towards the second.

Self-portrait Hesitating between the Arts of Music and Painting. Oil on canvas, 1470 x 2160mm (58 x 85"). The St Oswald Collection, Nostell Priory. (The National

Portraits in the Characters of the Muses in the Temple of Apollo - left to right

So, the choice took place and nothing else seemed to interfere with the girl’s talent. Indeed, she keenly felt the trends of the gallant age with its desire for play, imitations, with its lazy twilight and cozy armchairs, with its doll shepherdesses and golden boudoirs.

Female portrait

Soon the fame of the young artist reached the Milan Palace, where she was invited. The court was captivated by Angelica’s skill; those who wanted to stood in line to order a portrait from her. The girl, intoxicated with worship and glory, successfully reproduced the superficial and fashionable style of the brilliant French court at that time, working with pastels. A shepherd's dress - the squeak of the season, satin shoes, a hat with ribbons on a powdered wig, a doll surrounded by a mass of admirers - this is a portrait of Angelique of that time.

Anna Maria Jenkins;Thomas Jenkins(1722-1798), painted in oil by Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807).

The death of the mother forced the family to leave their home again and go this time to their native Braganza. However, father and daughter did not live here long. Who needed painted shepherdesses if there were plenty of real ones around? Angelica barely had time to finish the frescoes for the parish church when her father decided to leave for the court of Count Monfort, where there was work for the girl. From the cheerful court of Monfort she went to Rome. Here she met John Joachim Winckelmann, a German art historian who had enormous influence on modern minds.

Portrait of Johann Joachim Winckelmann

Angelica also believed his teaching; finally, the girl had her first outside teacher. Winckelmann spoke extremely highly of the gifted artist: “My portrait for a friend was made by an exceptional person, a German artist. She is very strong in portraits... Her name is Angelica Kaufman.” In Rome, the girl met many Londoners and, carried away by their stories about her hometown, decided to try her luck in Foggy Albion.

Self-portrait

On July 22, 1766, Angelica arrived in London, where real success awaited her. “The Queen has only arrived two days ago. As soon as she feels better, I will be introduced to her,” the girl wrote to her father just a month after her arrival. The following summer, old man Kaufman moved in with his daughter.

"Bildnis des Vaters Johann Joseph Kauffmann"

Angelica lived in London for almost twenty years. Here she painted portraits of the English queen and the Danish king Christian. There was no end to customers. The faces in her paintings, shrouded in a haze of mystery, are full, if not of beauty, then at least of charm. The salon artist, Angelica Kaufman, was also successful as a woman, captivating men with her beautiful figure, fresh complexion and naive, lively eyes.

Self-portrait

Portrait of Ferdinand IV of Naples, and his Family

Many contemporaries noted the artist’s magical look and her originality. The president of the English Academy of Arts, Reynolds, even drew attention to Angelica. He invited the girl to share his fate, wealth and glory. But Angelica was frightened by Reynolds’ genius; she understood that his wife should belong entirely to such a talent, and the desire for her own self-affirmation had not yet faded away.

Self-portrait

The suitors, however, did not decrease, and one day Kaufman’s workshop was visited by Count Horn, a patron of the arts who purchased artists’ paintings at incredibly high prices. Even Angelica, accustomed to the delight of the audience, could not resist smiling with satisfaction while listening to the count’s flattering reviews of her work. Soon Horn proposed to her. It seemed that personal happiness had finally smiled on the famous artist - a brilliant young man, received in the most respected houses of London, a rich, charming socialite. Only old man Kaufman immediately disliked the groom, but he had no right to stand in his daughter’s way a second time, so, gritting his teeth, he tried to remain silent.

Angelika Kauffmann: Portrait des Herzogs von Ceri (muss wohl gemeint sein, vom Händler betitelt als ominöser "Duca di Chiesi" als Sohn des Livio Odescalchi und der Vittoria Corsini; eventuell könnte auch der Schwiegersohn Duca di Chigi gemeint sein?)

Soon the count secretly appeared to Angelica and, in complete despair, told her that he was suspected of a serious political crime, for which he, of course, was not guilty, and he was facing a shameful death. Only the bride can save the count by immediately marrying him, because only the name of Angelika Kaufmann will force the royal family, who dearly loves the artist, to carefully look into the case of her husband. A naive girl, not experienced in intrigue, who had not encountered meanness, loved the count and believed him immediately.

"Portrait of a Woman Dressed as Vestal Virgin"

Family life, however, did not work out. The count demanded to leave the city immediately, he often did not come home and generally behaved rather strangely. He answered Angelica's questions with hysterics and rudeness. It all ended with the woman being forced to move back to her father. Soon Angelica learned the truth - her husband was an adventurer and lived under different fictitious names. He took his last name after serving for some time with the real Count Horn in Germany.

Portrait of Krystyna Potocka watering flowers on her mother"s grave.

As a farewell, her husband swindled three hundred pounds from Angelica. On February 10, 1768, their divorce took place. Having experienced a personal tragedy, the artist withdrew into herself and stopped attending social events; only a small circle of intellectuals continued to interest her as before. Klopstock wrote to one of his friends: “For some time now I have been almost in love with a German artist in London - Angelika Kaufmann.”

An ideal portrait of Shakespeare

Our heroine thought more and more about returning to Italy. My father became quite old and often said that he wanted to die on the earth that had once raised him. Only one thing bothered Kaufman - Angelica remained completely alone. The father himself took care of a worthy man for his daughter. At the insistence of the old man, Angelica married a mediocre Venetian artist, who by that time had turned fifty - Antonio Zucchi.

Angelica Kauffmann: Bildnis ihres Ehemanns, des Malers Antonio Zucchi

In Italy in 1783, Kaufman died, and Angelica and her husband settled in Naples at the court of Queen Maria Carolina. But even here it was hard for her to live, endlessly exploiting her skills and creating portraits of courtiers similar to one another.

Portrait of Lady Georgiana, Lady Henrietta Frances and George John Spencer, Viscount Althorp.

Her new residence - Rome - gave her a meeting with the main person in her life - Goethe. The great poet appreciated the originality and rich inner world of the artist. For a long time they had a tender friendship. Angelica painted a portrait of Goethe, but it was unsuccessful and remained unfinished. Kaufman's skill was not enough to convey the genius of the German titan.

Portrait of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The gallant age was fading into the past. Along with him, Angelica Kaufman grew old and slowly faded away. Lonely, forgotten by everyone, she died in the arms of her uncle on November 5, 1807.

Self-portrait as singer, holding a sheet of music

Self-portrait

"Paintings by Angelica Kauffmann"

Portrait of Domenica Morghen as Tragedy and Maddalena Volpato as Comedy.

Holy Family with an angel.

El juicio de Paris

Venus Induces Helen to Fall in Love with Paris

Abschied Abélards von Héloise, Tondo

Der Mönch aus Calais

Scene with Miranda and Ferdinand

Venus überredet Helena Paris zu erhören

Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus

A Sleeping Nymph Watched by a Shepherd, about 1780, Angelica Kauffman

Portrais in the Characters of the Nine Muses in the Temple of Apollo

Papirius Praetextatus Entreated by his Mother to Disclose the Secrets of the Deliberations of the Roman Senate.

Valentine Rescues Silvia inThe Two Gentlemen of Verona

Schwarzenberg (Vorarlberg). Holy Trinity parish church: High altar - Altar painting (1802) showing the coronation of Mary by Angelika Kauffmann.

Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well

"Portraits by Angelica Kauffmann"

Protasova Anna Stepanovna (portrait with nieces, 1788)

Alexandra Petrovna(b. 1774, d. 1842), married to Prince Alexei Andrevich Golitsyn
Ekaterina Petrovna(b. 1775, d. 1826), married to Count Fedor Rostopchin , and Rostopchin greatly enjoyed during Catherine’s life patronage of my aunt.
Varvara Petrovna, who died in maidenhood
Vera Petrovna(d. 1814), married to Ilarion Vasilyevich Vasilchikov, later prince
Anna Petrovna, who was later behind the gr. Bartholomew Vasilyevich Tolstoy