The Reverend Matthew William Peters R.A. 1742-1814. 18th.Century British School. Oil on canvas. Circa.1775. Portrait of Catherine Schindlerin. After the original composition by Sir Joshua Reynolds P.R.A. 1723-1792.
Schindlerin was a pupil of the notable male soprano Venanzio Rauzzini, who had first encountered her in Austria, and sang with her in Italy in 1773. In 1774, Rauzzini brought her to London where she first appeared as Prima Donna in Armida at the King’s Theatre. She performed in Allsandro nell’ Indie, Armida, Montezuma and La difesa d’amore in 1775. She enjoyed enormous popularity but only appeared once more in London in 1776, singing in Piramo e Tisbe. Charles Burney, in his History of Music gives her a mixed review, 'her figure was elegant and graceful on the stage, and she was a good actress...Her voice was a mere thread, for the weakness of which there was neither taste nor knowledge to compensate'.