DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66024#0130
72 ANGELICA KAUFFMANN
original of the picture of Cornelia, the Mother of the Gracchi, pointing out her
children as her treasures, a favourite subject with her, and which we have
already seen that she had painted for Mr. Bowles, and in January, 1788, was
to repeat for Prince Poniatowski of Poland. The second was called “ Virgil
Writing his own Epitaph at Brundusium,” another subject which she repeated
in later years; and the third was the picture she painted for Mr. Bowles, repre-
senting Pliny the Younger with his mother.
Then in 1788, another very busy year, she sent in a picture to the Academy,
which she describes as “ Bacchus teaching the Nymphs to make Verses,” a
scene adopted from the nineteenth ode of the second book of Horace, and
after that three years were to elapse before she had time to send anything to
London.
Steinberg, in ironical mood, tells us that in “ The Mother of the Gracchi,”
the children were the sons of the Duke of York, that the lady with jewels, who
was leaning against a pillar, was the Queen’s Mistress of the Robes, and that
the Mother of the Gracchi herself bore a striking resemblance to Lady Went-
worth, who had been Angelica’s original patron. He was amusingly critical
of the picture, and calls it nothing more nor less than a cold, unfaithful represen-
tation of a fine subject, dressed up with modern sentiment. Unfortunately,
his criticism is not inaccurate. These historical composition paintings were
certainly the least satisfactory part of Angelica’s work. That she was successful
in portraits goes without saying, and she was exceedingly happy in many of her
designs, those especially which were prepared for engraving. A proof of the
justification of Steinberg’s criticism occurred as far back as 1878, when “ The
Mother of the Gracchi ” was sold for £47, the Virgil for ^99, the Pliny for £59,
but at the same sale the portrait of Lady Northwick was bought by Lord Rose-
bery at the price of ,£850. All the three pictures exhibited at the Academy in
1786 were either commissions for Mr. Bowles or were purchased by him
afterwards.
Of Angelica’s life in Rome at this time we have just a hint in a letter from
Mrs. Piozzi, in which she says : “It is said that painting is now but little
cultivated amongst Italians. Rome will, however, be the place for such
inquiries, Angelica Kauffmann being settled there seems a proof of their taste
for living artists; if one thing more than another evinces Italian candour and
true good nature, it is perhaps their generous willingness to be able to be happy
in acknowledging foreign excellence.”
We now come briefly to refer to the events of 1788. Prince Poniatowski
not only possessed the picture of Cornelia and the Gracchi, but asked for a
companion group representing the “ Sentence of Brutus on his Sons.” The
Russian Minister at the Court of Sweden, Count Rossomorsky, purchased
from her the rough sketch which she had prepared for the large picture of the
Royal Family at Naples, and then himself commissioned a large picture
from her representing Henry IV and Gabrielle d’Estrees. Another Prince
Poniatowski, Stanislas, nephew to the King of Poland, sat to her for his portrait,
original of the picture of Cornelia, the Mother of the Gracchi, pointing out her
children as her treasures, a favourite subject with her, and which we have
already seen that she had painted for Mr. Bowles, and in January, 1788, was
to repeat for Prince Poniatowski of Poland. The second was called “ Virgil
Writing his own Epitaph at Brundusium,” another subject which she repeated
in later years; and the third was the picture she painted for Mr. Bowles, repre-
senting Pliny the Younger with his mother.
Then in 1788, another very busy year, she sent in a picture to the Academy,
which she describes as “ Bacchus teaching the Nymphs to make Verses,” a
scene adopted from the nineteenth ode of the second book of Horace, and
after that three years were to elapse before she had time to send anything to
London.
Steinberg, in ironical mood, tells us that in “ The Mother of the Gracchi,”
the children were the sons of the Duke of York, that the lady with jewels, who
was leaning against a pillar, was the Queen’s Mistress of the Robes, and that
the Mother of the Gracchi herself bore a striking resemblance to Lady Went-
worth, who had been Angelica’s original patron. He was amusingly critical
of the picture, and calls it nothing more nor less than a cold, unfaithful represen-
tation of a fine subject, dressed up with modern sentiment. Unfortunately,
his criticism is not inaccurate. These historical composition paintings were
certainly the least satisfactory part of Angelica’s work. That she was successful
in portraits goes without saying, and she was exceedingly happy in many of her
designs, those especially which were prepared for engraving. A proof of the
justification of Steinberg’s criticism occurred as far back as 1878, when “ The
Mother of the Gracchi ” was sold for £47, the Virgil for ^99, the Pliny for £59,
but at the same sale the portrait of Lady Northwick was bought by Lord Rose-
bery at the price of ,£850. All the three pictures exhibited at the Academy in
1786 were either commissions for Mr. Bowles or were purchased by him
afterwards.
Of Angelica’s life in Rome at this time we have just a hint in a letter from
Mrs. Piozzi, in which she says : “It is said that painting is now but little
cultivated amongst Italians. Rome will, however, be the place for such
inquiries, Angelica Kauffmann being settled there seems a proof of their taste
for living artists; if one thing more than another evinces Italian candour and
true good nature, it is perhaps their generous willingness to be able to be happy
in acknowledging foreign excellence.”
We now come briefly to refer to the events of 1788. Prince Poniatowski
not only possessed the picture of Cornelia and the Gracchi, but asked for a
companion group representing the “ Sentence of Brutus on his Sons.” The
Russian Minister at the Court of Sweden, Count Rossomorsky, purchased
from her the rough sketch which she had prepared for the large picture of the
Royal Family at Naples, and then himself commissioned a large picture
from her representing Henry IV and Gabrielle d’Estrees. Another Prince
Poniatowski, Stanislas, nephew to the King of Poland, sat to her for his portrait,