A Book for a Rainy Day; or, Recollections of the Events of the Years 1766-1833Smith, John Thomas
History
A Book for a Rainy Day; or, Recollections of the Events of the Years 1766-1833
Smith, John Thomas
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
On the 7th of November of this year, aged 65, died at Rome the celebrated
Angelica Kauffmann, who was appointed a member of the Royal Academy by
King George III. at its foundation.[327] That she was a great favourite
with the admirers of art may be inferred by the numerous engravings from
her productions by Bartolozzi and the late William Wynn Ryland.[328]
Her pictures are always tasteful, and often well composed, clearly and
harmoniously coloured, and extremely finished with a most delicate but
spirited pencil. Indeed, her talents were so approved by her brother
Academicians, that those gentlemen allotted her compartments of the
ceiling in their council-chamber at Somerset Place for decoration, in
which most honourable and pleasing task she so well acquitted herself,
that her performances are the admiration of every visitor, but more
particularly those who possess the organ of colour. She etched numerous
subjects; the best impressions are those before the plates were
aqua-tinted.
When I was a boy, my father frequently took me to Golden Square to see
her pictures, where she and her father had for many years resided in the
centre house on the south side. There are several portraits of her, but
none so well-looking as that painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, of which
there is an engraving by Bartolozzi.
Angelica Kauffmann was a great coquette, and pretended to be in love
with several gentlemen at the same time.[329] Once she professed to be
enamoured of Nathaniel Dance;[330] to the next visitor she would divulge
the great secret that she was dying for Sir Joshua Reynolds. However, she
was at last rightly served for her duplicity by marrying a very handsome
fellow personating Count de Horn. With this alliance she was so pleased,
that she made her happy conquest known to her Majesty Queen Charlotte,
who was much astonished that the Count should have been so long in
England without coming to Court. However, the real Count’s arrival was
some time afterwards announced at Dover; and Angelica Kauffmann’s husband
turned out to be no other than his _valet de chambre_. He was prevailed
upon subsequently to accept a separate maintenance.[331] After this man’s
death she married Zucchi, and settled in Rome. During her residence
there, she was solicited by the artists in general, but more particularly
by the English, to join them in an application to this country for
permission to bring their property to England duty free; and as I possess
the original letter which that lady wrote to Lord Camelford[332] upon the
subject, I cannot refrain from inserting it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account