DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66024#0099
THE ROYAL ACADEMY
49
was producing a series of frontispieces for different books, designing some
engravings entitled “ Morning Amusements,” and carrying out some work
to be done for Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery, superintending at the same time
some engravings that were being made from her pictures. She was not,
however, in strong health, and was described by one writer as “ a sad-eyed,
careworn woman.” She had been bitterly disappointed in many ways, and
was suffering from profound melancholy, speaking of it in somewhat touching
terms in the letter she wrote to Mrs. Fordyce at Putney on the 30th of October,
1780.1 In that she says that the letter she has received from her friend has
“ revived her spirits,” which were at that time “ ever so much oppressed,” so
that, altogether, it seemed the right moment to consider the question of
leaving England, and journeying to some country where there should be
more sunshine, and an entire change both of place and occupation.
Whether Antonio Zucchi, whom she afterwards married, had been paying
attentions to her for some long time past, we do not know. He and his brother
were old friends of the Kauffmanns. They were Venetians, who had spent
some time in Dalmatia and had then come over to England, and Antonio
had been elected an Academician in the second year of the history of the
Academy. He is described as a proud, reserved man, exceedingly upright,
and very highly respected. Rossi tells us that he “ never aspired to Angelica’s
hand, but was very much in her society, as she very often worked in the same
studio with him, and with his brother Joseph, who was an engraver.” Old
Kauffmann thought very highly of Zucchi, and was increasingly anxious that
his daughter should have the support and protection of a husband. Zucchi
had been busy, doing a considerable amount of decorating work for the
Brothers Adam, who were responsible for some delightful architectural work
at Osterley Park, Syon, Ken Wood, Luton, and many other great houses,
and he was gaining additional friends and patrons; but he was by no means a
young man—in fact, fifty-five years old, while Angelica was forty-two-
and he seems to have felt that as his best decorative work had by that time
been accomplished, he was ready to leave England and go back again to
W.
A young cousin of Angelica’s, Rosa Florini,2 who had come over with
Kauffmann and had lived for some time with them in Golden Square,
had just then been married to Joseph Bonomi, the architect, who was also
1 The original letter was lately in the possession of Mr. Tregaskis.
2 From the family records in the possession of Colonel Bonomi we have received the fol-
lowing extracts. They were written by Colonel Bonomi’s uncle, Ignatius Bonomi.
He says: In 1775, Joseph Bonomi, father of Ignatius, married Rosa Florini, cousin and ward
of Angelica. Angelica had a great affection for her cousin and her cousin’s husband, and was
godmother to Ignatius Bonomi, and also to Joseph Bonomi (the youngest son of Joseph
Bonomi and brother to Ignatius, and father of Colonel Bonomi, who owns the MS.).
Mr. Ignatius Bonomi also mentions that, in 1781, Angelica induced Joseph Bonomi to return
to Italy, with a view to permanent residence there with his family, but, owing to his wife’s
bad health, he returned to England in 1784.—See also in Engravings Appendix under “ Faith.”
E
49
was producing a series of frontispieces for different books, designing some
engravings entitled “ Morning Amusements,” and carrying out some work
to be done for Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery, superintending at the same time
some engravings that were being made from her pictures. She was not,
however, in strong health, and was described by one writer as “ a sad-eyed,
careworn woman.” She had been bitterly disappointed in many ways, and
was suffering from profound melancholy, speaking of it in somewhat touching
terms in the letter she wrote to Mrs. Fordyce at Putney on the 30th of October,
1780.1 In that she says that the letter she has received from her friend has
“ revived her spirits,” which were at that time “ ever so much oppressed,” so
that, altogether, it seemed the right moment to consider the question of
leaving England, and journeying to some country where there should be
more sunshine, and an entire change both of place and occupation.
Whether Antonio Zucchi, whom she afterwards married, had been paying
attentions to her for some long time past, we do not know. He and his brother
were old friends of the Kauffmanns. They were Venetians, who had spent
some time in Dalmatia and had then come over to England, and Antonio
had been elected an Academician in the second year of the history of the
Academy. He is described as a proud, reserved man, exceedingly upright,
and very highly respected. Rossi tells us that he “ never aspired to Angelica’s
hand, but was very much in her society, as she very often worked in the same
studio with him, and with his brother Joseph, who was an engraver.” Old
Kauffmann thought very highly of Zucchi, and was increasingly anxious that
his daughter should have the support and protection of a husband. Zucchi
had been busy, doing a considerable amount of decorating work for the
Brothers Adam, who were responsible for some delightful architectural work
at Osterley Park, Syon, Ken Wood, Luton, and many other great houses,
and he was gaining additional friends and patrons; but he was by no means a
young man—in fact, fifty-five years old, while Angelica was forty-two-
and he seems to have felt that as his best decorative work had by that time
been accomplished, he was ready to leave England and go back again to
W.
A young cousin of Angelica’s, Rosa Florini,2 who had come over with
Kauffmann and had lived for some time with them in Golden Square,
had just then been married to Joseph Bonomi, the architect, who was also
1 The original letter was lately in the possession of Mr. Tregaskis.
2 From the family records in the possession of Colonel Bonomi we have received the fol-
lowing extracts. They were written by Colonel Bonomi’s uncle, Ignatius Bonomi.
He says: In 1775, Joseph Bonomi, father of Ignatius, married Rosa Florini, cousin and ward
of Angelica. Angelica had a great affection for her cousin and her cousin’s husband, and was
godmother to Ignatius Bonomi, and also to Joseph Bonomi (the youngest son of Joseph
Bonomi and brother to Ignatius, and father of Colonel Bonomi, who owns the MS.).
Mr. Ignatius Bonomi also mentions that, in 1781, Angelica induced Joseph Bonomi to return
to Italy, with a view to permanent residence there with his family, but, owing to his wife’s
bad health, he returned to England in 1784.—See also in Engravings Appendix under “ Faith.”
E