Rinaldo and Armida
1775
This dramatic scene captures a moment from Torquato Tasso's epic poem *Jerusalem Delivered*, where the sorceress Armida tries to seduce the Christian knight Rinaldo. Kauffmann, one of the few female founding members of the Royal Academy, was famous for her emotional, neoclassical history paintings. Here, Cupid lurks in the background, holding up a curtain as if to reveal their secret tryst, while Rinaldo looks torn between duty and desire. This specific version is a mezzotint engraving by Valentine Green, the official engraver to King George III, which helped spread Kauffmann's fame across Britain.
- Technique
- Mezzotint engraving
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