National Gallery acquires Angelica Kauffman work, boosting women artists to 28
The National Gallery in London has added 'Achilles discovered among the Daughters of Lycomedes' (1787-88), created by Swiss artist Angelica Kauffman, to its collection, increasing the number of works by female artists to 28. This piece was gifted by Dallas collectors Richard and Luba Barrett, who also donated 'Portrait of Louis Montchal' (1885) by Ferdinand Hodler and 'Four Large Trees' (before 1850) by Alexandre Calame. Kauffman’s painting illustrates a moment from the Trojan War and serves as a preparatory study for a commission by Catherine the Great. Born in 1741, Kauffman was a founding member of the Royal Academy established in 1768. The newly acquired pieces are exhibited in Rooms 37, 44, and 39 of the gallery.
Key facts
- National Gallery acquires Angelica Kauffman's 'Achilles discovered among the Daughters of Lycomedes' (1787-88)
- Donated by Richard and Luba Barrett, Dallas-based collectors
- Also donated: Ferdinand Hodler's 'Portrait of Louis Montchal' (1885) and Alexandre Calame's 'Four Large Trees' (before 1850)
- Kauffman work is an oil study for a painting commissioned by Catherine the Great, now in St Petersburg
- Women artists in National Gallery collection rise to 28 out of 2,400 works
- Kauffman was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768
- Previous Kauffman work in National Gallery collection destroyed in WWII
- Barrett Collection pledged over 400 Swiss works to University of Texas at Dallas museum, first phase opened late 2024
Entities
Artists
- Angelica Kauffman
- Ferdinand Hodler
- Alexandre Calame
- Catherine the Great
- Angelica Kauffmann
Institutions
- National Gallery London
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Kunstpalast Düsseldorf
- Scientific-Research Museum of the Academy of Arts of Russia
- Tate Britain
- University of Texas at Dallas
- Edith and Peter O'Donnell Jr. Athenaeum
- National Gallery
- National Gallery of British Art
- Guildhall, Plymouth
Locations
- London
- Dallas
- St Petersburg
- Düsseldorf
- Rome
- Skyros
- Trafalgar Square
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Millbank
- Plymouth