Anton Raphael Mengs

Born in Bohemia, Anton Raphael Mengs was trained by his father Ismael Mengs. He was a child prodigy and received great encouragement. He first visited Rome in 1741 and spent much of his life there. He became court painter in Dresden in 1745. He was in Madrid from 1761 to 1771, in the service of Charles III of Spain.

Mengs's earliest works were copies of the Old Masters, especially Raphael. The influence of Winkelmann, the German writer on classical art, helped in the formation of his Neo-classical style. He painted frescoes, portraits and altarpieces.