One of the most accomplished and internationally celebrated artists of the eighteenth century, Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) established her reputation with sensitive portraits as well as ambitious history paintings. This major study explores the artist's work and career by considering how Kauffman reconciled the public and presumed masculine pursuit of painting with her role as woman artist and arbiter of private taste. Featuring a wealth of new information, this illustrated book demonstrates Kauffman's role in shaping European visual culture, shedding new light on the history of women artists and on art history as a critical discipline.