Rosalba Carriera

Rosalba Carriera was a Venetian artist and a pioneer of the pastel technique. She was prolific in terms of her output of portraits, allegories and personifications and stands out amongst pastellists for her subtle and delicate choice of palette, her use of sfumato and for her interest in portraying the sitter’s inner psychology. 

This portrait of a young child perfectly illustrates how Rosalba was able to capture the character and demeanour of her sitter.  Here, we see a glimmer of a smile, highlighting the child’s youthfulness and charm and the eyes are wide and intense, as if they are ready to question and survey their surroundings, revealing the innate curiosity of children. The sfumato technique, evident throughout her work, is seen in the rendering of the clothing and in the lace embroidery that adorns the child’s garment.