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Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus is on oil painting on canvas. The painting is signed and dated in the lower left. It is 63.8cm x 90.9cm. Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus is a history painting as it depicts a subject from literature. Kauffman is considered the first woman painter to take on these subjects, as they were done exclusively by men beforehand. Many academics at the time were open about their dislike of her gender in relation to being a history painter. Many of Kauffman's history paintings feature heroines. This painting is specifically a mythological painting, which is a work of art depicting a myth or scene from a myth. Ariadne is shown draped in sheer white fabric, lounged on a low cushion bed with a vibrant red blanket with gold tassels underneath her. She is reclined with one leg stretching out over the edge of the mattress with her bare foot over the edge of the cushion, while her other leg is bent and completely covered with her knee towards the sky. Her head is turned downward behind her raised hand and her back is to the sea. Ariadne's face is a picture of despair with one hand reaching out and the other shielding her face. Her hair in up with a braid across the top her head. A gold bracelet adorns each arm. In the background to the left, Theseus's ship is seen with its sail up and heading towards the soft pink horizon. On the right, directly behind Ariadne, is a large rock that obstructs the view of the sea in the background. The ground surrounding her is composed of dirt and grasses and her sandals are strewn on the ground at the end of the cushion. There is a box of jewels near Ariadne in the foreground, with a necklace falling out of it. Ariadne is alone in her despair. Sarah Wadstrom, in her masters thesis, compares Ariadne's pose to a woman's pose reacting to the massacre of Agamemnon in plate 148 of Winckelmann's Monumenti antichi inediti, the Death of Agamemnon. Connections are drawn to Ariadne's pose of despair in reaction to the massacre of her love with Theseus.There are a variety of textures present in the painting done by means of brushstroke technique. The landscape has more visible brushstrokes, whereas Ariadne's skin is smooth and almost textureless.
Angelica painted this subject another time before 1782. Titled Ariadne von Theseus verlassen (Ariadne Left by Theseus), the composition of this painting is different, yet there are many similar elements. Ariadne is show in a more upright position and a cherub is mourning by her feet. The two paintings are similar in the fact that both women are shown reaching out, in mourning, and Theseus' ship is seen sailing away in the background. This version is on display in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister museum in Dresden, Germany. Kauffman again revisited the subject in 1794 with the painting Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus, Discovered by Bacchus (also called Bacchus and Ariadne). This painting has similarities and differences from the other two. It depicts Ariadne in a similar lounging position as Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus, but with a cherub present similar to Ariadne Left by Theseus. This painting also depicts Bacchus standing over her. This version is on display in the National Trust in the United Kingdom.
history painting Theseus Ariadne