After Rosalba Carriera, 'Rosalba Carriera', 18th century
About the work
Overview
Rosalba Carriera was one of a small number of women to make a highly successful international career as an artist in the eighteenth century. A native of Venice, she began by painting portrait miniatures on ivory, but by the time she was in her twenties she was attracting an international clientele for her pastel portraits.
This oil painting is based on a celebrated pastel self portrait that she made in old age (Royal Collection, Windsor), though the palette here is more subdued. Carriera is shown as composed and sophisticated, and our eye is drawn to the sparkle of her earring. There are subtle variations in the textures of her clothing, from the smoothly blended fur of the coat to the crisp lace collar and headwear.
The original pastel was probably given to Joseph Smith – British consul in Venice between 1738 and 1762, and one of Carriera’s major patrons – in around 1745. It was then purchased, along with much of Smith’s collection, by George III in 1762.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Rosalba Carriera
- Artist
- After Rosalba Carriera
- Artist dates
- 1673 - 1757
- Date made
- 18th century
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 57.6 × 39.4 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Layard Bequest, 1916
- Inventory number
- NG3127
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Michael Levey, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1956Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1956
-
1986Levey, Michael, National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1986
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
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