Born in Frankfurt am Main in 1733, Johann Joseph Zoffany was one of the most outstanding painters of Classicism. He was mainly active in England. As a young adult he first learned his artistic craft in the studio of Martin Speer in Regensburg. After marrying a woman from Regensburg, he studied in Rome, where many English draughtsmen and painters were practising their skills at the time. Animated by the encounters there and full of a spirit of adventure, he travelled to London around 1760, at the age of 27, full of hope. The first priority for the young artist was to find a paid job, and then Johann Zoffany also had to improve his scarce English skills. At least he found work with watchmaker Stephen Rimbault, for whom he drew watch vignettes.
His great moment came some years later when he was allowed to paint theater scenes for the famous actor David Garrick and he was also introduced to the then King George III. From then on he could prove his great talent by portraits of the members of the royal family. One of his outstanding works is "Queen Charlotte" (1780), a colourful portrait full of depth. From the year 1768 comes the equally magnificent work "The Family of Sir William Young", a scene with a dozen people and two animals. It is an example of the accuracy and detail of Zoffany's paintings. After all, he was allowed to pursue his thirst for adventure. He traveled for a long time to Lucknow in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and undertook several other excursions to continental Europe and India. They inspired him above all to create pictures with depictions of British Indian society. He found his eternal rest in 1810 in Strand-on-the-Green in West London.
Born in Frankfurt am Main in 1733, Johann Joseph Zoffany was one of the most outstanding painters of Classicism. He was mainly active in England. As a young adult he first learned his artistic craft in the studio of Martin Speer in Regensburg. After marrying a woman from Regensburg, he studied in Rome, where many English draughtsmen and painters were practising their skills at the time. Animated by the encounters there and full of a spirit of adventure, he travelled to London around 1760, at the age of 27, full of hope. The first priority for the young artist was to find a paid job, and then Johann Zoffany also had to improve his scarce English skills. At least he found work with watchmaker Stephen Rimbault, for whom he drew watch vignettes.
His great moment came some years later when he was allowed to paint theater scenes for the famous actor David Garrick and he was also introduced to the then King George III. From then on he could prove his great talent by portraits of the members of the royal family. One of his outstanding works is "Queen Charlotte" (1780), a colourful portrait full of depth. From the year 1768 comes the equally magnificent work "The Family of Sir William Young", a scene with a dozen people and two animals. It is an example of the accuracy and detail of Zoffany's paintings. After all, he was allowed to pursue his thirst for adventure. He traveled for a long time to Lucknow in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and undertook several other excursions to continental Europe and India. They inspired him above all to create pictures with depictions of British Indian society. He found his eternal rest in 1810 in Strand-on-the-Green in West London.
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