A personification of Hebe

This personification of Hebe, the goddess of youth and cupbearer to the Olympian gods, was a popular subject for Kauffmann. The Hebe figure allowed her to combine classical learning with an idealized vision of feminine beauty that appealed to her aristocratic clientele across Europe. 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...

The goddess is rendered with Kauffmann’s characteristic grace and soft modeling. The figure’s flowing drapery and elevated pose create a sense of divine lightness appropriate to the subject.