Portrait of Johann Heinrich Hampe

The oval portrait shows the Siegen-born doctor Johann Heinrich Hampe in a shiny, burgundy robe in front of a jade-green background. His curly wig, which extends beyond the shoulder, appears precisely styled. Hampe is sitting sideways in the picture, gazing intensely straight at the viewer. Around his neck he wears a fine white scarf. The Swiss painter Angelika Kauffmann (1741-1807) is seen as one of the most successful female artists of the 18th century. She was one of the few female founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts, leaving behind an extensive body of work. In fact, she is still known today as a pioneer for women in the art world. Kauffmann was particularly highly regarded for her history paintings and portraits. Regarding the latter, she painted many well-known personalities of her time. In the 1940s, the portrait of Johann Heinrich Hampe came to the Siegerland Museum. However, its presentation in the museum exhibition initially focused on the sitter rather than the famous artist. Kauffmann’s portrait of Hampe was even listed as lost in various catalogues raisonnés until the error was rectified in the early 1990s.