ROSALBA CARRIERA - Life, Works & Painting Style | Great Artists simply Explained in 3 minutes!

Rosalba Carriera was an Italian pastel and miniature painter of the Rococo period, known for her portraits and pastel painting. She was the most famous portrait painter in Europe.

She was born in Venice in 1675. Her father discovered her talent and encouraged her. She began as a miniature painter before specializing in portraiture.

Because of her skill, she was commissioned by members of the nobility and celebrities. She was in such demand as a portrait painter that she received commissions in other European cities.
Her devotion was to art and she never married. Eleven years before her death she went blind.
In 1757 she died in Venice at the age of 81.

Her elegant painting style suited the Rococo period well and and is characterized by an intimate and sensitive portrayal of facial features and personality. She also depicted details such as lace, jewelry, and textiles. Despite her gentle style, she used effective contrasts of light and dark to emphasize facial features.

One of her most famous works is her self-portrait as Winter. It illustrates the depiction of detail and you can see how she manages to use pastels to create subtle color transitions and fabric textures.
Also, the portrait of the young Louis the Fifteenth of France is one of her most famous works. She was commissioned to portray him in a flattering light. It is an example of her ability to portray royal personages in her characteristic delicate and sensitive manner.

It is estimated that she painted over 1,500 portraits and miniatures. She had a great influence on the development of eighteenth-century portrait painting and contributed to the popularization of pastel techniques.