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Self-Portrait Holding a Portrait of Her Sister
Rosalba Carriera · Rococo & Neoclassicism
- Artist
- Rosalba Carriera (1673–1757)
- Date
- c. 1715
- Dimensions
- 71 x 57 cm
- Medium
- Pastel on paper
- Location
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
In this self-portrait, the Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera presents herself seated, with powdered hair and a soft, direct gaze, holding up a small portrait of her younger sister Giovanna, who was also her assistant.
A closer look
Carriera worked in pastel, sticks of coloured chalk that allowed her to create soft, velvety surfaces and delicate skin tones, a technique she made fashionable throughout Europe. Here she shows herself not as a decorative beauty but as a professional artist, proudly displaying her work. The portrait within the portrait is also a gesture of affection: Giovanna helped her prepare backgrounds and costumes in the studio, and the sisters lived and worked together all their lives. The light, airy colours and graceful informality anticipate the French Rococo.