Johann Zoffany
Born – Frankfurt, Germany 1733
Died – London, England 1810
German-born Johann Zoffany studied in Rome before settling in England in 1761. His work found favour with King George III and he painted numerous elegant and flattering portraits of the royal family. He was one of the original members of the Royal Academy and, in 1771, painted a group portrait of the Academy’s leading artists. In addition to portraits, he painted conversation pieces, an eighteenth-century group portrait, often of a family, engaging in conversation within a domestic or landscape setting, and theatrical scenes depicting a dramatic moment in a play. Zoffany was encouraged in these stage representations by his patron, the actor David Garrick. The Bradshaw Family is a conversation piece in which various members of the family are shown relaxing on their land. Painted with grace, fluency and vigour, it has a sense of characterization inspired by the work of Hogarth, but lacking the latter’s satirical edge. In 1772, he went to Italy and spent some years in Florence. He also increased his income considerably by painting portraits of the aristocratic members of Indian society between 1783 and 1789.
Masterpieces:
- Queen Charlotte and Her Two Eldest Children
- The Academicians of the Royal Academy
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About johann zoffany
Johan Zoffany RA: Society Observed (Yale Center for British Art)
Dr. Martin Postle
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Johan Zoffany, R.A.: 1733-1810 (The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art)
Mary Webster
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John Zoffany, R.A. his life and works: 1735-1810
Johann Zoffany
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