Artwork
Allegory of Painting
Allegory of Painting is a pastel drawing by the Baroque artist Rosalba Carriera. It dates from 1734 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1734, *Allegory of Painting* is a drawing by Italian Rococo artist Rosalba Carriera. Executed in pastel and red chalk on blue laid paper that has been mounted on canvas, the work exemplifies the allegorical genre in which a figure personifies the act of painting itself.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a young woman with softly curled hair, a faint smile, and a light‑blue dress. She holds a paintbrush in one hand while the other rests against a dark background, and a small flower adorns her hair, reinforcing the theme of artistic creation through a gentle, personified figure.
Technique & Style
Carriera employed pastel and red chalk on a blue‑toned paper support, allowing the pigments to blend into a delicate, luminous surface. The blue ground enhances the pastel’s translucency, while the red chalk adds definition, a method typical of early eighteenth‑century portrait miniatures that Carriera mastered before focusing on larger pastel works.
History & Provenance
Rosalba Carriera, celebrated for popularising pastel portraiture across Europe, produced this drawing during the early phase of her career, shortly after her training in miniature painting. The piece reflects her transition toward becoming one of the most successful women artists of the period, though its later ownership history remains undocumented.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rosalba Carriera (12 January 1673 – 15 April 1757) was an Italian Rococo painter.
