Juno and the Peacock

About this artwork

Greatly admired for her portraits, Kauffmann also made etchings that occasionally, as here, reflect her mythological bent. This impression represents an early state of the etching, before the addition of the aquatint and the published state of 1780.

Art Historical Context

Angelica Kauffmann'sJuno and the Peacock (1770) is a delicate etching on paper, measuring 21 × 16.3 cm, housed in the Art Institute of's Prints and Drawings department This intimate work captures the Roman goddess Juno, queen of the gods, with her sacred peacock, a symbol of immortality and her divine vanity in classical mythology. Kauffmann a pioneering Swiss-born Neoclassical and one of only two women founders of London's Royal Academy of Arts, masterfully blends elegance and restraint in her depiction. Created during the height of Neoclassicism, which revived ancient Greek and Roman ideals of beauty and virtue amid the Enlightenment, the etching showcases Kauffmann's skill in translating grand history painting themes into accessible prints. Etching, involving acid-etched metal plates for precise lines and tonal gradations, allowed artists like her to disseminate imagery widely—ideal for a burgeoning collector market in 18th-century Europe. This piece highlights Kauffmann's versatility beyond oil paintings, emphasizing women's rising roles in art. Visitors will appreciate its crisp details and mythological charm, evoking Juno's regal poise and the peacock's iridescent splendor in a timeless format.

About the Artist

Angelica Kauffmann · 1741–1807

Swiss painter and etcher, and one of the few women artists of the time working in the Neo-Classical style to specialize in both portraits and subject pictures. Her famous sitters include the family of George III in Britain, Grand-Duke Paul and Prince Nikolay Yusupov in Russia, Stanislav II Poniatowski and Stanislav Kostka Potocki in Poland, Queen Caroline of Naples and Emperor Joseph II of Austria...