This 18th century pastel on paper portrait showing a young friar has many hallmarks of the work of the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).
Often cited as one of the most commercially successful female artists of the 18th century - in her pomp she painted literally hundreds of pastel portraits for the great and the good of courtly Europe - Carriera is increasingly appreciated as more than just ‘the greatest woman artist of her day’.
She set rather than followed artistic trends. She was influential in introducing the rococo style and helped popularise the medium of pastels in 18th century Europe. As a miniaturist, she was one of the first painters to use ivory instead of vellum as a support.