Venus Directs Aeneas And Achates, Oil On Canvas. Date: Circa 18th Century The Frame has signs of wear due to age and the piece is starting to fade. Venus directs her son Aeneas and his faithful companion Achartes to the city of Carthage and Queen Dido. She is disguised as a huntress, with a bow and quiver on her back. The two Trojan warriors have survived a storm after the Sack of Troy and have arrived on the coast of Africa. Angelica (Maria Anna) Kauffman was in in Switzerland 1741 and died in Rome Italy 1807. She is known for her portrait painting as well as historical stories which this piece encapsulates. Her early art training came from her father, Joseph Johann Kauffmann, and from her mother, Cleophea Lutz, she learned several languages. By age 12, she was already doing portrait commissions of prominent persons including bishops and members of the nobility. In 1754, at age 13, she went to Italy with her father, and this trip began a series of visits by her to that country, where she was able to speak Italian fluently. In Rome, she was much sought after for portraits by English visitors as well as local personages. History painting was the special forte of Kauffmann, she became one of its main promoters at a time when the primary interest in artists was their ability to do portraiture. In England, she became discouraged with the weak reception to history painting, and went to Italy where art connoisseurs were much more receptive to the subject. Overall Size: 57 1/2 x 46 1/2 in. Sight Size: 49 1/2 x 38 1/2 in. #2016