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Anton Raphael Mengs Mengs was born March 12, 1728 at Usti (Aussig) in Bohemia. His father, Ismael Mengs who was a Danish painter, established himself first at Dresden, and in 1741 left for Rome with his son. In 1749 Anton Raphael Mengs was appointed as first painter to Frederick Augustus, elector of Saxony. This did not prevent him spending much time in Rome, where he had married Margarita Quazzi who had sat for him as a model in 1748, and abjured the Protestant faith. In 1754 Mengs became director of the Vatican school of painting. Mengs was also called to Charles III of Spain to Madrid. There Mengs produced some of his best work, especially the ceiling of the banqueting-hall, the subject of which was the Triumph of Trajan and the Temple of Glory. After the completion of this work in 1777, Mengs returned to Rome, where he died two years later on June 29, 1779, in poor circumstances. He left twenty children, seven of whom were pensioned by the king of Spain.
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