Rosalba Carriera

Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 29 January 1997, lot 96. 

Madrid, Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza, El Triunfo de Venus. La Imagen de la Mujer en la Pintura Veneciana del Siglo XVIII, 19 November 1997 - 22 February 1998, no. 18, pp. 128-9, reproduced in colour.

This lot was not viewed out of its frame. The surface appears a little abraded in parts, particularly in the background areas. There is also some discolouration around the edges, where the support is resting on the stretcher, as seen in the catalogue illustration. Overall, the colours are richer and the definition better than they appear in the catalogue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A pair of comparable pastels of allegorical female figures is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and has been dated by Bernardina Sani, who notes their exceptional quality, circa 1724.¹  She dates a further series of four allegorical figures in a Venetian private collection circa 1720.²  A later dating seems also possible, since there are also marked similarities with Rosalba's Clio, formerly in Dresden, and with her Poesia, on a support of similar size to the present work, in Karlsruhe, both of which date from around 1740.³  The present pastel has the greater degree of expression of movement, seen in Rosalba's later work.

As with all these subjects, a precise identification of the allegory depicted is hazardous, since Rosalba appears to have been liberal in her interpretation of Cesare Ripa's Iconologia: however, the present figure's air of gravitas would support her identification as Philosophy.

1.  B. Sani, Rosalba Carriera 1673-1757. Maestro del pastello nell'Europa ancien régime, Turin 2007, p. 185, no. 164, reproduced.
2.  Idem, pp. 196-97, no. 194, reproduced.
3.  Idem, pp. 329-31, nos. 373 and 374, both reproduced.