101 Hailing from an obscure background, Rosalba Carriera managed not only tomake a name for herself but also establishminiature and pastel painting as credible art forms desired by the European nobility and haute bourgeoisie. This was especially the case in Dresden, where her numerous works formed the basis of the royal Pastellkabinett, the first-ever collection of pastels open to the public and a testament to Augustus III’s great love of the medium. It can thus be argued that the pastel mania of the elector-king, and, by extension, of the Dresden court, was rooted in appreciation of Carriera’s works, which in turnmade it possible for other artists of the court to find success by also working in this technique. Such was the case with Theresa Concordia Mengs (1725–1806), who began her career as a Kabinettmalerin at the court of Augustus III and went on to become a very accomplished miniature painter in Rome. ROSALBA CARR I ERA AND THE ELEVAT ION OF MINIATURE AND PASTEL PAINT ING TO HIGH ART Born on 12 January 1673 to a lacemaker mother and lawyer father,1 Rosalba did not have a direct connection to the art world like many other women artists of her time. Not much is known about her early years, meaning that it is also unknown whether Rosalba taught herself to paint or trained under an artist. In any case, Rosalba concentrated on miniatures at the onset of her artistic career, which began around 1695.2 She achieved success in a relatively short time, as the intimate and occasionally erotic depictions of small figures catered perfectly to the Rococo taste for refined and delicate objects. Being in Venice also put Rosalba at a great advantage: with the great numbers of travellers in the city on their Grand Tour, the fact that she offered a product that was easy and quick to produce and transport meant that she was very in-demand.3 In 1705, she was accepted into the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. It is interesting to note that at this time, Carriera was not yet known for her pastels. She only turned to this technique around 1703, but it took some time before she began to use pastels exclusively. Although its use in drawing can be traced back to the 15th century, pastel became incredibly popular in the 18th century. The medium’s delicate blending of colours (“painting”, including with a brush) and characteristically light shading reflected the elegant Rococo taste of the day and the general ideal of beauty of courtly society (fig. 2). Like miniature painting, pastel painting proved to be a field that was quite easy for a woman to break into, as both disciplines were considered “feminine” and not nearly as academic as history or religious painting. Furthermore, since pastels were, like miniatures, also easy to produce and send, they made the ideal memento for any wealthy traveller’s trip to the lagoon city. Thus, a visit to Carriera’s Venetian studio to sit for a portrait became an obligatory part of any noble’s visit to Venice.4
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