Week 3 - The 18th Century

Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi, Pointing to Her Children as Her Treasures

1785

Born in 1741, Angelica Kauffmann was one of the first women in the Royal Academy and a rare female history painter. Her neoclassical work Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi shows a Roman woman presenting her sons as her true treasures, rejecting wealth. The painting features balanced composition, classical detail, and moral storytelling. I chose this piece for how it blends feminine virtue with classical heroism, challenging gender norms within accepted academic frameworks.

Marie Antoinette and Her Children

1787

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842) was a leading portraitist and official painter to Marie Antoinette. One of few women in the French Royal Academy, she shaped royal imagery through neoclassical style. In Marie Antoinette and Her Children, the queen appears as a devoted mother, with soft lighting and balanced composition echoing Madonna imagery. I chose this work for how it constructs female identity and shows the artist navigating elite spaces with purpose.