- Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus
Frame: 32 1/8 × 42 1/2 in. (81.6 × 108 cm)
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Born in Switzerland, trained in Italy, and made famous in England, Angelica Kauffmann was one of Europe's leading Neoclassical painters. A popular portraitist of wealthy aristocrats, tourists, and celebrities, she was also a painter of historical and mythological subjects and was fascinated by the classical frescoes then being excavated at Pompeii.
In the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus escapes the Minotaur's labyrinth with the help of his lover, Ariadne, whom he later abandons on the Aegean island of Naxos. Here, Kauffmann portrays the forsaken woman at the moment Theseus's ship sails away.
ProvenanceGeorge Bowles, Wanstead, Essex, England; to his sister, Rebecca Rushout, wife of the 1st Baron Northwick; by descent to Captain Edward George Spencer-Churchill, Northwick Park, Gloucestershire, England; [Christie’s, London, June 25, 1965, lot 89]; Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III, 1965; given to MFAH, 1969.
Exhibition HistoryProbably Royal Academy, 1774.
"Angelica Kauffmann," Kenwood, London, 1955.
“Masterpieces of European Painting from the 15th to 20th Centuries from The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation," The Museum of Art, Ehime, Matsuyama, Japan, April 13–May 30,1999; Chiba Prefectural Art Museum, Japan, June 5–July 11, 1999; Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Tsu, Japan, July 17–August 22,1999; Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan, August 27–October 3,1999.
"From the Private Collections of Texas: European Art, Ancient to Modern, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, November 22, 2009–March 21, 2010.
"Antiquity Revived: Neoclassical Art in the Eighteenth Century," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, March 20–May 30, 2011.
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