Rosalba Carriera (circle Of) - Portrait Of A Woman - Pastel

54 × 43 cm (framed). Signed lower right. Portrait of a richly dressed woman of quality, one hand resting on a sculpted face, the other probably holding a chisel (a tool used for sculpting). The pastel is executed on paper laid down on canvas. The work is presented framed and under glass. The portrait was created in the first half of the 18th century, within the circle of Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757). Rosalba Carriera developed a highly refined pastel technique and popularized it in European courts. Based on the composition, the sitter's face, and the distinctive treatment of the hair, it is possible that the portrait is by Marianna Carlevarijs (1703-1750). The difficulty is that we possess very few authentic works by her, and nothing of such magnitude, with a sculpted bust for example. It is a very perplexing work both in terms of its quality and the period in which it was created.