"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider web. That is why we must not discriminate between things." ~ Pablo Picasso
A receptacle of deep emotions, successful 18th century Swiss artist Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807) was a self-taught child prodigy who painted her first commission at age 12.
Born in the Swiss town of Chur, her father painted murals and she helped him at a very young age. Her passion for historical painting was hampered by the notion that women were not allowed to sketch nude figures.
That did not stop her.
As the great military thinker Karl von Clausewitz once said, "Pursue one great decisive aim with force and determination." Undaunted, the ambitious artist trained herself by copying from books and other paintings. She overcame the restrictions of her time.
A founding member of the British Royal Academy in 1768, Kauffmann's paintings featured rich, warm colors and intense emotions. With a highly-respected reputation, she popularized her work through prints which made her paintings even more popular and available to many at a reasonable price.
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Inspiration is nearby: Look.