Abelard offering Hymen to Eloisa

London & Paris: J.Thane & Chez Hannan et Potonant, 1785. Stiff Wraps. Very good. Kauffman, Angelica. Color stipple engraved on wove paper, plate 29 x 24 cm., total margin 51 x 38 cm. Sir Joshua Reynolds was one of her staunchest allies. As a woman and history painter, an unusual designation for a woman artist in the 18th century considering history painting was the elite and most lucrative category dominated by men. The genre required extensive learning in biblical and classical literature, a background in which most women were denied access. Engraved by John Ogborne. Margins dusty.