Автопортрет

1757

Chooses painting over music

Angelica sang and played music, but after her mother’s death she chose painting over music.

1763

Meets the English community in Rome

Moving to Rome in January 1763, Kauffman was introduced to the British community there; as she learned more English and continued with portraiture, she became a popular portraitist for British visitors to Rome.

1764

Her portrait of Winckelmann

In Rome Kauffman painted a half-length portrait of the art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann and also made an etching of it; in August 1764 Winckelmann wrote to a friend about her popularity: she spoke Italian and German, handled French and English with ease, could be called beautiful, and in singing could vie with the best virtuosi.

1766

Friendship with Joshua Reynolds

Reynolds became Kauffman’s firmest friend: in his pocketbooks she often appears as “Miss Angelica” or “Miss Angel”; in 1766 he painted her portrait, and she answered with her portrait of Reynolds.

1768

Founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts

In December 1768 Kauffman became one of the founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, one of only two women among them.

1781

Returns to Rome

Disappointed by the relative apathy of the British towards history painting, Kauffman left London, where she had lived for fifteen years, in 1781, after her marriage to Antonio Zucchi, and returned to Rome, where that genre was better known and enjoyed the patronage of patrons and collectors.