Cleopatra before Augustus, Angelica Kauffman

Exhibition Label:
"Empire of Things," 2013, Kate Meyer
This painting of a classical subject is a much-copied composition by one of the best-known and most successful artists in 18th century Europe, Angelica Kauffman. In Rome, Kauffman knew Johann Joachim Winckelmann, a key figure in the reinterpretation
of the classical past and the creation of neoclassicism.
While many of Kauffman’s paintings were heroic in scale and subject, this small roundel is one of a sizeable group that she painted for royal patrons in England and elsewhere to grace country homes of nobility. In this painting, a radiant but wilting Cleopatra meets with her conqueror, Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, following the death of her lover Marc Antony. In Cleopatra’s form, the artist mimics the grace of classical sculptures. The laurel wreath on Augustus’s head is echoed in the surrounding gold frame. The painting conveys the dignity and restraint that characterize ancient Roman art.

Archive Label 2003:
Few painters could have been more commercially successful than Angelica Kauffmann; her classical compositions and portraits were eagerly sought by the English aristocracy and could be found in major collections, including those of King George III. Kauffmann’s work also garnered critical acclaim. When the Royal Academy was founded in 1769, Kauffmann was one of only two women members.

While many of Kauffmann’s works were heroic in both subject matter and size, the artist often produced paintings intended to grace the interiors of fine English homes, such as the small roundel Cleopatra Before Augustus. This painting was produced for George Bowles, an avid collector who owned fifty of Kauffmann’s works.