Angelica Kauffmann (Swiss, 1741-1807) was famed throughout England and Europe as a portraitist and painter of Neoclassical scenes. She came to notice in her teens, having traveled and trained with her father, the painter Johann Joseph Kauffman. After moving from Rome to London, she was one of only two women who were founding members of the Royal Academy. In Venus and Adonis, 1786, Kauffmann portrays a moment of quiet intimacy between the goddess and the youth. The tragedy of the story has yet to unfold and seems unimaginable in such an idyllic setting.
Angelica Kauffmann
Swiss, 1741-1807
Venus and Adonis, 1786
Oil on canvas, 50 ΒΌ x 36 7/8 inches
Museum Purchase with Membership Acquisition Fund, 1976.25
