Self-portrait

Rosalba Carriera's self-portrait of 1701 is an early document of the pastellist who would soon become the most celebrated portrait painter in Europe. At the time of this portrait, Carriera had recently established her reputation through her innovative use of pastel for miniature snuffbox lids, which attracted aristocratic collectors and initiated her career as a portraitist. This early self-portrait captures the confidence of a young artist conscious of her unusual achievement in a male-dominated profession.

The young Carriera presents herself in three-quarter view with the direct gaze of artistic self-assertion. Her early pastel technique is already accomplished, the flesh tones soft and the transitions between light and shadow delicately managed. The portrait has the freshness of a young artist's self-examination, less polished than her later commissioned work but immediately attractive.