Caterina Sagredo Barbarigo as Berenice

Caterina Sagredo Barbarigo 'as Berenice' belongs to the Rococo genre of heroic or historical costume portraiture — depicting a known individual in the guise of a figure from classical history or mythology. Berenice was a famous Hellenistic queen, subject of Racine's tragedy and a celebrated example of regal beauty and tragic love. Dressing Caterina in this role elevated her from Venetian noblewoman to timeless heroine, a flattering conflation that the era found natural and pleasing. This 1741 Detroit Institute of Arts painting is among Carriera's last known works, made as her vision was failing. The presence of this work in an American collection reflects the movement of Venetian art to the United States through the collecting patterns of American institutions in the early twentieth century.

Costume portraiture in the historical or allegorical mode required Carriera to render both period dress — the flowing robes associated with classical queens — and the specific accessories identifying the character. The oil-on-canvas medium here (rather than pastel) may reflect a different commission type, or the attribution may require further examination.