(Chur 1741–1807 Rome)
Immortalia, the nymph of immortality, receiving nameplates from two swans; and
Silvia, decorating herself with flowers while observed by Daphne,
oil on canvas laid down on panel, 81.8 x 62.2 cm and 81.8 x 62.2 cm, framed, a pair (2)

Provenance:
probably commissioned by Don Onorato Gaetani (also Caetani) dell’Aquila d’Aragona, Duca di Miranda, Naples, 1783;
A. Jandolo, Rome;
Collection of H. Murray Haskard;
from whom acquired in December 1898 by the art dealer Agnew’s, London, no. 8650 [untitled], 8662 [Immortalia], 8684, 8685 [possibly Silvia, Erminia, or Constanza];
acquired from Agnew’s by A. Goldschmidt, London, on 21 January 1899;
thence by descent to Edward Goldschmidt, London;
his sale, Christie’s, 19 December 1930, lot 64 (as A. Kauffmann, R. A. – a set of three);
sale, Christie’s, 20 November 1953, lot 86 (as Kauffmann, Allegorical Subjects – a set of three);
where acquired by Bolton (handwritten note in the catalogue);
Federico Zeri collection, Mentana, at least from 1972;
Private European collection

Documentation:
probably the paintings described by Angelica Kauffmann, Memorie delle piture fatte: ‘1783 […] per sua Ecc.za Sig. D. Honorratto Gaettani a Napoli. Roma. [51] Un ovalle alto palmi 3.9 largo 3. Con figura Rappresentante la ninfa che presiede al Tempio dell’Imortalità in atto di racogliere le medaglie con li nomi di quelli che devono essere conservatti per sempre, quelli vengono dalli Cigni recatti alla detta ninfa che va in isponda del fiume lette per raccoglierli e riporseli nell Tempio situato sulla somità del monte; In distanza si vede il Tempo che getta tutta sorte di medaglie con li nomi nelle aque del detto fiume, e li cigni racolgono solo quelli che devono essere conservatti – preso dall’Ariosto- […];
Genaro, in Roma 1784. [54] Altro simile Rapresenta Silvia sedente ad una fonte in atto di acconciarsi li capeli inspechiandosi nella fonte, Dafane nascosta tra cespugli che la riguarda – preso dall’Aminta del Tasso.’ (see A. Kauffmann, in: C. Knight [ed.], La ‘Memoria delle piture’, Rome 1998, p.17)

Exhibited:
Vienna/Rome, Akademie der Bildender Künste/Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi, Österreichische Künstler und Rom: vom Barock zur Secession, May – July 1972, cat. no. 151 (Nymphe der Unsterblichkeit) and cat. no. 152 (Flora);
London, The Royal Academy and The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Age of Neoclassicism, 9 September – 19 November 1972, cat. no. 161 (Flora) and cat. no. 162 (The Nymph of Immortality);
Bregenz, Vorarlberg Museum, Angelika Kauffmann – Unbekannte Schätze aus Vorarlberger Privatsammlungen, 15 June – 6 October 2019, p. 177 (Silvia), pp. 231-232 (Immortalia)

Literature:
V. Manners/G. C. Williamson, Angelica Kauffmann, R. A., Her Life and Her Works, London 1924, p. 190;
D. Moulton Mayer, Angelica Kauffmann, R. A. 1741-1807. A Biography, Gerrards Cross 1972, fig. 21 (Immortalia);
S. Roettgen, in: Österreichische Künstler und Rom: vom Barock zur Secession, exhibition catalogue, ed. by J. Garms, Rome/Vienna 1972, pp. 139-140, cat. no. 151, pl. 65 (Nymphe der Unsterblichkeit) and cat. no. 152, pl. 66 (erroneously as Flora instead of Silvia and Daphne) (as Kauffmann A.);
H. Honour et al. (eds.), The Age of Neoclassicism, exhibition catalogue, London 1972, pp. 106-107, cat. no. 161 (erroneously as Flora instead Silvia and Daphne) and cat. no. 162 (The Nymph of Immortality);
B. Baumgärtel (ed.), in: Angelika Kauffmann 1741–1807. Eine Retrospektive, exhibition catalogue, Düsseldorf 1998, p. 252, cited under cat. no. 120, 121 (as Silvia and Daphne for the first time);
B. Baumgärtel (ed.), in: Angelika Kauffmann - unbekannte Schätze aus Vorarlberger Privatsammlungen, exhibition catalogue, Munich 2019, p. 177 (Silvia), pp. 231-232 (Immortalia)

We are grateful to Bettina Baumgärtel for confirming the attribution after examination of the present paintings in the original and for her help in cataloguing this lot.

In the present oval paintings, Angelica Kauffmann depicted two episodes taken from two different Italian poems of the sixteenth century.

The first painting of Immortalia follows canto 35, verses 12–23, of Ariosto’s epic poem Orlando Furioso, published in 1516. Immortalia shows how an old man throwing boards inscribed with names of the deceased into the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. Only two swans manage to rescue some of the nameplates, which they entrust to the nymph of immortality. She brings the plates to the temple and helps those mentioned to eternal fame.

In the second painting of Silvia, Kauffmann painted a scene from the pastoral drama Aminta, by Torquato Tasso, played for the first time in 1573. Silvia is depicted seated on a wooded shore, while the nymph Daphne approaches from the right background in order to convince Silvia of her love to Aminta. But Silvia, a female Narcissus, just looks at her own reflection in the water, as if she were in love with herself. The upper part of her body is mirrored at the bottom of the picture as she decorates her hair with a bunch of white blossoms. This might have been the reason why the picture has long been misinterpreted as ‘Flora’.

Angelica Kauffmann painted several works for Don Onorato Gaetani dell’Aquila d’Argona, Duca di Miranda (1749-1815) and she may have met him as early as in the summer of 1782 during her first stay at the court of Naples. Gaetano was the second son of the Duke of Laurenzana and a confidant of Ferdinand I, King of Naples and the Two Sicilies. According to Angelica’s list of works, entitled Memorie delle piture fatte (see documentation), in 1783-84 she painted for the Duke a series composed of: four upright ovals of Immortalia, Erminia, Konstanza, and Silvia with Daphne and a painting with Telemaco and Callisto (all together paid 858 ‘ducati napoletani’). According to Baumgärtel, the present two ovals may have been part of a series.