Angelina Kauffman

Maria Anna Angelica Catharina Kauffman (1741-1807), known as Angelina Kauffman, was a pioneering Swiss-Austrian painter and one of the most accomplished female artists of the 18th century. Born in Chur, Switzerland, she demonstrated prodigious artistic talent from childhood and received training from her father, a painter. By her twenties, Kauffman had established herself as a major artistic force, working in the Neoclassical style that dominated the era. She relocated to London in 1766, where she became one of only two female founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768, a distinction that reflects her exceptional reputation. Her work encompassed history paintings, allegorical compositions, and portraits, and she was commissioned by royal patrons and aristocrats across Europe. Kauffman's success in a male-dominated profession was remarkable; she managed her own workshop, maintained artistic independence, and achieved financial success uncommon for women of her era. Her legacy extends beyond her paintings—she challenged contemporary gender norms and proved that women could excel at history painting, the highest-regarded genre of the period. Later in life, she returned to Rome, where she continued creating art until her death.