Portrait of a Woman with Mask

The Portrait of a Woman with Mask is a pastel painting by the Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera, completed between 1720 and 1730. It is in the collection of the Palazzo Melzi d'Eril, in Milan. Its dimensions are 56 by.

History
The portrait is painted in pastels, by Rosalba Carriera. The year of execution is approximately assumed during after the artist's trip to Paris in 1720. Its provenance can be traced back from the Galleria Lorenzelli in Bergamo where it is documented by a label on the back of the portrait and an approximate drawn up in Italian lire by the Sotheby's without a detailed year. The portrait appears in the inventory from Intesa Leasing and merged into Fondazione Cariplo's collection in 1999.

Description
This portrait of a smiling woman, holding gently a mask near her mouth, has a certain sensuality and malice. The woman wears a band of pearls around her arm with a precious blue stone, holds a venetian moretta in her right hand, and a fine ribbon on her neck and a charming flower clumping her hair. Her pale dress indicates the influence of Classicism and allegorical representation of a pagan goddess.