Johan / Johann Joseph Zoffany (born Johannes Josephus Zaufallij; 13 March 1733 – 11 November 1810) was a German neoclassical painter who was active mainly in England, Italy, and India. His works appear in many prominent British collections, including the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

, the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

and the

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, as well as institutions in continental Europe, India, the United States and Australia. His name is sometimes spelled Zoffani or Zauffelij (on his grave, it is spelled Zoffanij).

Life and career

Of noble Hungarian and Bohemian origin, Johan Zoffany was born near

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

on 13 March 1733, the son of a

cabinet maker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (solid ...

and

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

of the court of Alexander Ferdinand, 3rd Prince of Thurn and Taxis. He undertook an initial period of study in a

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

's workshop in Ellwangen during the 1740s, possibly the shop of Melchior Paulus, and later at

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

with the artist . In 1750, he travelled to

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, entering the studio of Agostino Masucci. In the autumn of 1760, he arrived in England and initially found work with the clockmaker Stephen Rimbault, painting decorative designs for his clocks. By 1764, Zoffany was enjoying the

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

of King

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

and Queen Charlotte for his charmingly informal scenes such as ''Queen Charlotte and Her Two Eldest Children'' (1765), in which the queen is shown at her

toilette Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or created syn ...

inside Buckingham House. He was also popular with the Austrian imperial family and was created a baron of the Holy Roman Empire in 1776 by Empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

. A founding member of the new

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in 1768, Zoffany enjoyed great popularity for his society and theatrical portraits. He painted many prominent actors and actresses, in particular

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

, the most famous actor of his day, often in costume – ''Garrick as

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' and ''Garrick as

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

''. Zoffany was a master of what has been called the 'theatrical conversation piece', a sub-set of the ' conversation piece' genre that arose with the middle classes in the 18th century. (The conversation piece – or ''conversazione'' – was a relatively small, though not necessarily inexpensive, informal group portrait, often of a family group or a circle of friends. This genre developed in the Netherlands and France, and it became popular in Britain from about 1720.) Zoffany has been described by one critic as "the real creator and master of this genre". He painted a number of 'conversation pieces' featuring a violoncello – the Cowper-Gore family, Sharp family, Morse and Cator family, and the family of Sir William Young. Around 1780, he painted a portrait of the octogenarian professional cellist and composer Giacomo Cervetto. Johan Zoffany - Tribuna of the Uffizi - Google Art Project

Johan Zoffany - Tribuna of the Uffizi - Google Art Project

In the later part of his life, Zoffany was especially known for producing huge paintings with large casts of people and works of art, all readily recognizable by their contemporaries. In paintings like '' The Tribuna of the Uffizi'', he carried this fidelity to an extreme degree – the ''Tribuna'' was already displayed in the typically cluttered 18th-century manner (i.e. with many objects hanging in a small area, stacked high on the wall), but Zoffany added to the sense of clutter by having other works brought into the small octagonal gallery space from other parts of the

Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...

. Zoffany spent the years 1783 to early 1789 in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, where he painted portraits including the Governor-General of Bengal,

Warren Hastings Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first governor-gener ...

, and the

Nawab of Awadh The Nawab of Awadh or Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers of Kingdom of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in northern India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to an Iranian dynasty''Encyclopædia Iranica'', R. B. B ...

Asaf-ud-Daula Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula (23 September 1748 – 21 September 1797) was the Nawab wazir of Oudh ratified by Shah Alam II, from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah. His mother and grandmother were the Begums of ...

; an altarpiece of the Last Supper (1787) for St John's Church, Calcutta; and a vibrant history painting, ''Colonel Mordaunt's Cock Fight'' (1784–86) (Tate), described by historian

Maya Jasanoff Maya R. Jasanoff (born 1974) is an American scholar of history studies who serves as Coolidge Professor of History at Harvard University, where she focuses on the history of Britain and the British Empire. Early life Jasanoff grew up in Ithaca ...

as 'easily the liveliest illustration of early colonial India'. In the usual way, he sired several children by an Indian mistress, or 'uppa-patni'. Returning to England, he was shipwrecked off the

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

. The survivors held a lottery in which the loser (a sailor) was eaten.

William Dalrymple William Benedict Hamilton-Dalrymple (born 20 March 1965) is a Delhi-based Scottish people, Scottish historian and art historian, as well as a curator, broadcaster and critic. He spends nine months of each year on his goat farm in India. He i ...

describes Zoffany as having been "the first and last Royal Academician to have become a cannibal". Zoffany died in his home at Strand-on-the-Green on 11 November 1810. He is buried in the churchyard of St Anne's Church, Kew.

Marriages and children

Around the age of 27, Zoffany married the daughter of a court official in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

. She accompanied him to London but returned to Germany within a decade or so. Zoffany left for

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

in 1772 and was followed by young Mary Thomas, the daughter of a London glovemaker, who was carrying his first child. Whether they married in Europe is uncertain, but Zoffany's portrait, ''Mary Thomas, the Artist's second wife'' (–82), shows her wearing a wedding ring. Following the death of his first wife in 1805, Zoffany married "Mary Thomas … Spinster" in accordance with

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

rites. Johan and Mary Zoffany had five children, including a son (who died in infancy) and four daughters. Their second daughter, Cecilia (1779–1830), was involved in a well-publicised child custody case in

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

in 1825.

Critical legacy

Despite the high-profile the artist enjoyed in his day, as court painter in London and Vienna, Zoffany has, until very recently, been overlooked by art historical literature. In 1920, Lady Victoria Manners and Dr. G. C. Williamson published ''John Zoffany, R.A., his life and works. 1735–1810'' – the first in-depth study of the artist and his work, privately printed, presumably at some cost (with 330pp, numerous black/white and a few colour plates), in a limited edition of 500 copies. In 1966, Oliver Millar published ''Zoffany and his Tribuna'' on the painter's

group-portrait now in the

. This was followed by ''Johan Zoffany, 1733–1810'', an illustrated guide for the exhibition at the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

in 1977. In December 2009, Penelope Treadwell published the first full biography, ''Johan Zoffany: Artist and Adventurer'', Paul Holberton Publishing. This biography traces Zoffany's footsteps, from his youth in Germany, through his first years in London – working for clockmaker Stephen Rimbault – to his growing success as society and theatrical portraitist and founder-member of the Royal Academy, and following him on his Grand Tour and sojourn in India. Illustrated in full colour with more than 250 works by Zoffany and his peers, many of which are in private collections, Treadwell's biography provides a timely reassessment of the artist's life and work. In 2011 Mary Webster published her long-awaited and splendidly produced monograph on the artist: ''Johan Zoffany 1733–1810'' (Yale University Press). In 2011–12 the Yale Center for British Art and the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

, London, showed an exhibition ''Johan Zoffany, RA: Society Observed'', curated by Martin Postle, with Gillian Forrester and MaryAnne Stevens, with a catalogue of the same name, edited by Postle and including much original research. For a review of this and Mary Webster's biography, see Edward Chaney, "Intentional Phallacies", ''The Art Newspaper'', no. 234, April 2012, p. 71. A 2014 book by David Wilson describes Zoffany's relationship with Robert Sayer (1725–94). A leading publisher and seller of prints, maps and maritime charts in Georgian Britain, based in

Fleet Street Fleet Street is a street in Central London, England. It runs west to east from Temple Bar, London, Temple Bar at the boundary of the City of London, Cities of London and City of Westminster, Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the Lo ...

, London, Sayer organised the engraving of paintings by some leading artists of the day, most importantly Zoffany, and sold prints from the engravings. In this way he helped to secure Zoffany's international reputation. Sayer and the artist became longstanding friends as well as business associates. In 1781 Zoffany painted Robert Sayer in an important 'conversation piece'. ''The Sayer Family of Richmond'' depicts Robert Sayer, his son, James, from his first marriage, and his second wife, Alice Longfield (née Tilson). Behind the family group is the substantial villa on Richmond Hill overlooking the River Thames, built for Sayer between 1777 and 1780 to the designs of William Eves, a little known architect and property developer. On Sayer's death in 1794 the house was to become the residence of a future king of Great Britain. In recent decades, Zoffany's paintings have provoked significant controversy. Mary Webster's monumental study in 2011, while based on extensive research, has sometimes been seen as austere. Other scholars have drawn attention to the artist's propensity for wry observations, risqué allusions and double meanings, so that many of his paintings conceal as much as they reveal.

In literature and media

In the

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

,'' by

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

, the Major-General brags of being able to distinguish works by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

from works by

Gerard Dou Gerrit Dou (; 7 April 1613 – 9 February 1675), also known as Gerard Douw or Dow, was a Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders. He specialised in genre s ...

and Zoffany. A scene in

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

's film ''

Barry Lyndon ''Barry Lyndon'' is a 1975 epic historical drama film written, directed, and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel '' The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by William Makepeace Thackeray. Narrated by Michael Hordern, and starring Ryan O'N ...

'' (1975) is said to have been inspired by Zoffany's ''Tribuna of the Uffizi''. Zoffany Street in Archway, London is named after him. This street name is notable as being the last to appear in the index of London's famous street atlas, the A–Z.

Works

File:Zoffany-Garrick in Provoked Wife.jpg,

in Vanbrugh's ''Provoked Wife'', Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (1763) File:David Garrick by Johann Zoffany.jpg, ''David Garrick'' by Johann Zoffany) (1763) File:3SonsOfEarlOfBute.jpg, '' The Three Sons of the Earl of Bute'', 1764 File:Michael Arne by Zoffany.jpg, '' Michael Arne'' (1765) File:Zoffany, Johann - Portrait of Ann Brown in the Role of Miranda - c. 1770.JPG, ''Portrait of Ann Brown in the Role of Miranda'' () File:George Nassau Clavering, 3rd Earl of Cowper (1738-1789) by Studio of Johann Zoffany.jpg, '' George Nassau Clavering, 3rd Earl of Cowper (1738–1789)'' File:King George III of England by Johann Zoffany.jpg, ''

'' (1771) File:John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich by Johann Zoffany.jpg, ''

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, Privy Council of Great Britain, PC, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British politician, statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwic ...

'', best known as inventor of the

sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

. File:Zoffany - Queen Charlotte, 1771, Royal Collection.jpg, ''Queen Charlotte'', File:Johann Zoffany 007.jpg, ''

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor Francis I (Francis Stephen; ; ; ; 8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1745 to 1765, List of rulers of Austria#Dukes and archdukes of Austria under the House of Habsburg, Archduke of Austria from 1740 to 1765, List of ...

'' File:Johann Zoffany - Erzherzogin Maria Christine (1742-1798).jpg, ''Archduchess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen, (1742–1798)'', called "Mimi", (1776) File:Hugh Chamberlain.jpg, ''Hugh Chamberlain'' (1780s) File:Sophia Dumergue by Zoffany.jpg, ''Portrait of Sophia Dumergue holding a cat'' (1780) File:Johan Joseph Zoffany - David Garrick and his wife by his Temple to Shakespeare, Hampton - Google Art Project.jpg, ''David Garrick and his Wife by his Temple to Shakespeare at Hampton'' () File:Johann Zoffany - 'The Garden at Hampton House, with Mr and Mrs David Garrick taking tea'.jpg, ''The Garden at Hampton House, with Mr and Mrs David Garrick taking tea'', 1763 File:John Zoffany - David Garrick as Jaffier, Susannah Maria Cibber as Belvidera in Venice Preserved, or The Plot Discovered.jpg, '' Venice Preserv'd'' (1763) File:Charlott buckingham house1765.jpg,

Queen Charlotte Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. The Acts of Un ...

with her Two Eldest Sons (1765) File:Johan Zoffany - The Family of Sir William Young - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Family of Sir William Young'' (c.1768) File:Charles Macklin as Shylock, c. 1768 by Johann Zoffany.png, '' Charles Macklin as Shylock'' (1768) File:Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) - The Bradshaw Family - N06261 - Tate.jpg, '' The Bradshaw Family'' (1769) File:Johan Joseph Zoffany - The Drummond Family - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Drummond Family'' (1769) File:The Portraits of the Academicians of the Royal Academy, 1771-72, oil on canvas, The Royal Collection by Johan Zoffany.jpg, '' The Academicians of the Royal Academy'' (1771–72) File:Johann Zoffany 003.jpg, '' Sir Lawrence Dundas and his Grandson Lawrence'' () File:Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) - A Florentine Fruit Stall - T00054 - Tate.jpg , '' A Florentine Fruit Stall'' (1777) File:The Sharp Family by Johann Zoffany.jpg, '' The Sharp Family'' () File:Zoffany-Lalbagh Fort.jpg, ''

Lalbagh Fort The Lalbagh Fort () is a historic fort situated in the old city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Its name is derived from its neighbourhood Lalbagh, which means Red Garden. The term Lalbagh refers to reddish and pinkish hues in the Mughal architecture. Th ...

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

'' (1787) Image:STJ4.jpg, The ''Last Supper'' at the St. John's Church, Kolkata File:Nagaphon Ghat.jpg, Painting titled ''Nagaphon Ghat'': The Columbo Sahib mausoleum located in the Dhaka Christian Cemetery: 1786 File:Plundering of the King's Cellar at Paris.png, '' Plundering the King's Cellar at Paris'', 1794

References

External links

* *
Connected Histories: British History Sources, 1500–1900
This JISC-funded web service provides federated searching of online historical resources for research. The web link provides access to primary sources which refer to Zoffany. * Dexter Edge

24 August 2013.

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

: Michael Lorenz.
Zoffany House – Strand on the Green
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoffany, Johann 1733 births 1810 deaths Expatriates in British India 18th-century British painters 18th-century German painters 18th-century German male artists 19th-century British painters 19th-century German painters 19th-century German male artists Painters from Frankfurt Burials at St. Anne's Church, Kew British male painters Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England German male painters Royal Academicians German neoclassical painters 19th-century British male artists 18th-century British male artists