“ In 1775 he returned to Rome, where he died, June 29, 1779.
His fresco paintings are superior to his canvases. Good examples of the latter are a “Nativity” in Madrid, and an “Annunciation” in the Vienna Gallery. Mengs was an eclectic who endeavored to blend the beauty of antique art with that of the great Italian masters. Living at a time of extreme degradation in art, he commanded great admiration by his skill in composition and his thorough knowledge of technical processes. He exercised a profound inlluence upon his contemporaries, and trained numerous pupils. ”