Description

A spirited portrait, believed to be the artist Angelica Kauffmann, depicts her taking a pause while painting. Although executed in oil, its light, chalky tones resemble pastel or gouache, materials with which Daniel Gardner is more commonly associated.

The identification of Kauffmann is widely accepted and was described as such in the late nineteenth century when the portrait was first engraved. Despite Gardner's apparent dating of the work to 1779, it may have been painted around 1773 while Gardner worked in the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds, a great admirer of Kauffmann.

Swiss-born Kauffman enjoyed a successful career in England and Italy, excelling in allegorical, mythological and historical subjects. She occupied the unusual position of being an history painter: participation in this genre was generally inaccessible to women in the eighteenth century, who lacked the means to acquire the necessary literary education and were discouraged from seeking commissions. She lived in London from 1766 until her move to Italy after her marriage to the Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi.

Born in Kendal, Daniel Gardner first studied with George Romney circa 1762. He attended the Royal Academy Schools from 1770, during which he worked as an assistant to Reynolds. This experience was influential on the younger artist, who gained valuable insight into new compositional and painting techniques.