angelica, any species of the genus Angelica, plants of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), native to the Northern Hemisphere and New Zealand, valued for their potency as a medicament and protection against evil spirits and the plague, which probably accounts for the name; angelica is a poetic symbol for inspiration. The roots and fruits yield angelica oil, which is used in perfume, confectionery, medicine, and for flavoring liqueurs (such as angelica). The species most often used for these purposes is A. archangelica, a subarctic and alpine plant of the Old World once extensively grown but now seldom cultivated outside Germany. This and a few other species are sometimes used as ornamentals. Angelica is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Apiales, family Umbelliferae.

Kauffmann, Angelica, 1741-1807, Swiss neoclassical painter and graphic artist. From her youth she was known for her artistic, musical, and linguistic abilities. She went to England, where she enjoyed success as a fashionable portrait painter and decorator. A protégée of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Kauffman was one of the original members of the Royal Academy. She often decorated houses designed by the Adam brothers. After her marriage in 1781 to the Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi, she lived in Italy, where she flourished in artistic and literary circles. Reynolds, Winckelmann, Goethe, and Garrick commissioned her to paint their portraits. Representative works include Religion (National Gall., London); Self-Portrait (Staatliche Museen, Berlin); and the etchings of L'Allegra and La Pensierosa. The British Museum has a collection of her drawings and prints.

(born Oct. 30, 1741, Chur, Switz.—died Nov. 5, 1807, Rome, Papal States) Swiss-born Italian painter. She began studying art in Italy as a child, showing great precocity, and in 1766 her friend Joshua Reynolds took her to London. There she became known for her decorative work with architects such as Robert Adam. Her pastoral compositions incorporate delicate and graceful depictions of gods and goddesses; though her paintings are Rococo in tone and approach, her figures are Neoclassical (see Classicism and Neoclassicism). Her portraits of female sitters are among her finest works. After marrying the painter Antonio Zucchi (1726–95), she returned to Italy in 1781.

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