Weibliches Bildnis

This 1766 female portrait was painted early in Kauffmann's London career, when she was rapidly establishing herself as one of the city's most fashionable portraitists. Her early London portraits already display the grace that would become her trademark. Kauffmann painted in oil on canvas using the controlled clear technique she developed through years of study in Rome, where she arrived in 1763 and became part of Winckelmann's Neoclassical circle. Her long Roman period (1781–1807) produced so...

The portrait shows Kauffmann's developing style, with soft handling and warm color that anticipate her mature portrait manner. The artist's command of composition and surface quality reflects years of disciplined practice and keen artistic sensibility.