''Portrait of Winckelmann'' is an oil on canvas painting by the Swiss artist

Angelica Kauffmann Maria Anna Angelika Kauffmann ( ; 30 October 1741 – 5 November 1807), usually known in English as Angelica Kauffman, was a Swiss Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Remembered primarily as a history painter, ...

, from 1764. It was produced in Rome and represents the famous archaeologist and art historian

Johann Joachim Winckelmann Johann Joachim Winckelmann ( ; ; 9 December 17178 June 1768) was a German art historian and archaeologist. He was a pioneering Hellenism (neoclassicism), Hellenist who first articulated the differences between Ancient Greek art, Greek, Helleni ...

, whose work greatly contributed to the revival of classical studies and the change in style from

rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

. It is signed at the lower right by the artist and is now in the

Kunsthaus Zürich The Kunsthaus Zürich is an art museum in Zurich. It is the biggest art museum in Switzerland by area and houses one of the most important art collections in Switzerland, assembled over time by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, a nonprofit art soc ...

Description

The painting depicts Winckelmann seated at his work table, with a pen in his right hand. Both his hands rest on an open book, who is placed on a flat antique bas-relief representing the Three Graces. The bas-relief itself is placed on a red fabric. Kauffmann demonstrates great mastery through this painting. It is composed in the two complementary colors, green and red. The gradient of green tones ranging from verdigris to olive on the background and on the clothing, complements the red fabric under the bas-relief. Touches of white seem to light up the painting, as seen in the pages of the book, lace on the sleeves and collar, and support the construction lines of the painting (enhanced by light touches of yellow), one of which runs diagonally along the book and the table, and the other vertically at the face. All the light in the painting comes from the left side, which is emphasized by the use of white and suggested by the touches of yellow. This portrait, in his simplicity and mastery, can be compared with other portrait of Winckelmann, made by

Anton von Maron Anton von Maron (8 January 1733 – 3 March 1808, Rome) was an Austrian painter who specialized in portraits. Life and work Maron was born on 8 January 1733, in Vienna, to painter Johann Leopold Maron (1696–1770) and his wife Anna Cathari ...

, in 1768.

Reception

Angelica Kauffmann, who was only twenty-two years old when she painted this portrait, truly began her career with this painting, thanks to which she was able to obtain new commissions in the cultivated circles of her time. The same year Winckelmann published his famous work ''History of the Art of Antiquity''. She made this painting on commission from a Swiss friend of Winckelmann. The latter was very satisfied with it, especially since it was subsequently widely disseminated by the mean of engraving.Tobias G. Natter, ''Angelica Kauffmann'', Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2007 (German)

References

Bibliography

Bettina Baumgärtel Bettina Baumgärtel (born 1957) is a German art historian who is head of the painting collection of the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf. She is a leading authority on the art of Angelica Kauffman and founded the Angelika Kauffmann Research Proje ...

, ''Angelika Kauffmann'', Ostfildern, Hatje, 1998, * Tobias G. Natter, ''Angelica Kauffmann'', Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2007, {{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of Winckelmann 18th-century portraits 1764 paintings Portraits by Angelica Kauffman Portraits of men