1760
tempera
canvas
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Decorative painting for Kedleston Hall is a 1760 tempera by Agostino Brunias, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see bright, small figures in fancy clothes lounging under palm trees. Palm leaves frame the scene. The colors pop like a postcard. This was one of five paintings made for a fancy British house. The artist painted scenes from his travels—likely the Caribbean. The figures look relaxed, not like workers. It’s done in tempera, a paint made with egg yolk. Look up tempera for how it dries fast and stays vivid.
A decorative painting created in 1761 for the Breakfast Room at Kedleston Hall, this work imitates Roman fresco style but suffered rapid deterioration due to an experimental medium on canvas. It features two women in classical attire positioned on either side of a pillar altar topped with a sacrificial flame. The composition reflects the classical mural decoration trend of the late 18th century. The set was designed by Robert Adam and executed by Agostino Brunias, with frames carved by Sefferin Alken.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Agostino Brunias (c. 1730 – 2 April 1796) was an Italian painter who was primarily active in the West Indies. Born in Rome around 1730, Brunias spent his early career as a painter after graduating from the Accademia di…
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