Angelika Kauffmann Museum

Museum dedicated to the 18th-century Neoclassical painter, born in Schwarzenberg

The Angelika Kauffmann Museum in Schwarzenberg celebrates the 18th-century Neoclassical painter whose family connections to the Bregenzerwald brought her here in childhood. Kauffmann (1741–1807) became one of the most successful painters of her era — sought after in Rome, London, and across Europe — and is now recognised as one of the great figures of Neoclassical art. A self-portrait by Kauffmann hangs in the parish church in Schwarzenberg.

The museum is housed in a characteristic Vorarlberg building and presents Kauffmann's life and work in the context of 18th-century European art and society. The collection includes reproductions and some original works, along with documentation of her extraordinary career. The village of Schwarzenberg itself is one of the most attractive in the valley. Combine it with a visit to the church to see the self-portrait.

things to do museum
A story
Angelika Kauffmann was born in Chur in 1741 but her family came from Schwarzenberg in the Bregenzerwald, and she spent time here as a child. She went on to become one of the most celebrated painters of the Neoclassical era, a founder of the Royal Academy in London, and a close friend of Goethe. She was one of only two women among the founding members of the Royal Academy — a fact largely forgotten until recently.