Abildgaard was awarded a travel stipend from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Copenhagen in 1771, and he travelled to Rome the following year. In Rome he became friendly with Sergel, and through him met Füseli. In 1777 he left Italy and returned, after a brief sojourn in Paris, to Copenhagen. In 1778 he was appointed Professor of Painting at the Academy. He decorated the royal palaces of Christianborg and Amalienborg. Despite his success he longed to return to Italy, but was refused a stipend in 1785 and 1791. His last years were his most productive; his series of paintings on Terence's The Andria and Apuleius's The Golden Ass date from this period