Allegory of the Air

Title: Allegory of the Air

Artist: Rosalba Carriera

Country: Venice, Italy

Date: 1774-1776

Present location: Unknown


I chose this painting because after seeing a variety of paintings in class produced by the use of pastels and crayon, I have become engrossed by them. I love the use of the very light, almost delicate colors used in this portrait. This woman is wearing an outfit that is sexy for that time period. It is revealing and feminine and erotic for this time period as well. It is similar to the portrait we discussed in class called "A Young Lady With a Parrot." The dress is slightly draped off of her breast and although the bird in the picture is not pulling the dress off of her, the bird is still there, flying around. I also like Carriera's use of light in this portrait. The background is slightly darker with the dramatic light on the woman's face. It is slightly contrasted in a way that makes the woman and her feminine features the center of attention. This portrait is done so in a way that emphasizes this woman's beauty and delicacy. Her gaze is also focused away from the spectator and moreso on the bird with her arm slightly raised as if waiting for the bird to perch itself onto her fingers. This time period was a time for women to open up and express themselves more freely, as evidenced by this portrait and the many others discussed during class.

A Lady

Artist Rosalba Carriera

Title: A Lady

I liked this picture because it resembles the A young lady with a parrot we discussed in class. This is a warm toned picturd created with class and a small amount of erotics presented. The way her shoulder is showing from her clothing it is like the bird pulling her dress out. It is done in a beautiful manner emphasizing the woman and her beauty. The coloring of her face, arm, and shoulder shown it bright colors truly draws your eye into those features. This piece of art is done in a way to emphasize the beauty of women in an appropriate mannser. Her gaze is beautiful and flirty at the same time. She is giving off a seductive grin causing people to focus more on her shoulder and neck line.

Portrait of Caterina Barbarigo

Caterina Barbarigo

Artist: Rosalba Carriera

This is a portrait of Caterina Barbarigo who belonged to one of the most famous Venetian families and was famous for her beauty. Rosalba Carriera shows her in light with her head-tilted slightly, and her gaze looking towards the audience, this picture clearly awares us of the elevated social status of affiliation and her attractiveness. The brightness of the pearls, in contrast with the dark tones of the headgear and the dresses, against the pallor of the complexion, they contribute to increase her charm.

I liked this portrait because i think it shows glamour and the colors really brought out her attractiveness. I also liked the expression on her face. She seems like she is a natural with the way she is posing. I also like how the colors extenuate the pearls. She is clearly wealthy with her rich clothing and accessories.

Spring

This is a painting by Rosalba Carriera called Spring (1725). The painting depicts a woman wearing a very loose set of clothing, with one sleeve falling off her shoulder and leaving a breast exposed. She is holding a small flower in her hand as if to smell it, with several other flowers in her hair and by her fallen clothing. Her face is cast to the side but her eyes are painted coyly and in the direction of the audience. Overall, this is an erotic portrait of a woman. Aside from the partial nudity and the flirtatious look on her face, the curvy lines of her body emphasize a level of sensuality. Also, the lighting on her chest and face, as well as the pastel used, give a "soft" look to her skin, adding yet another layer of realness and sensuality to the piece. The erotic painting of the woman was a direct result of the changing views on women during Carriera's time. This was a period influenced by the Enlightenment, where not only did women gain some liberties such as education, but the idea of sex was not as conservatively viewed as in the Renaissance or Middle Ages. Once such reason was because marriages were often arranged, leaving married couples unhappy and developing multiple sexual affairs. Thus, the idea of sexuality was expressed more in the public, as seen from Carriera's Spring. Even though such an image was topical at the time, some traditional views of woman are also seen in this painting, such as the incorporation of flowers. The flowers in the painting, as well as the title Spring, are are not only associated with women in terms of reproduction and fertility, but also in terms of trivialness. The idea comes from the Renaissance, where numerous women artists limited themselves to painting flowers because society at the time did not believe women artists were capable of more. Carriera, however, is certainly capable of more, as indicated by this skillful piece.

Madame Rousseau and Her Daughter

Title: Madame Rousseau and Her Daughter

Artist: Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun

Date: 1789

The reason I chose this painting is because it reminded me of Vigee Lebrun's self-portrait with her daughter. This is another work of art with the theme of "Happy Mothers." Madame Rousseau was the wife of the reknown architect Pierre Rousseau. She is well-dressed. The lighting reveals the sheen of her dress, and the detail of the folds add texture. The red, green, and blue colors are rich and beautiful. She is gently holding her daughter's hand. The little girl looks happy and content. She is not making direct eye contact with the viewer like her mother. This painting conveys Madame Rousseau tenderness as a loving mother.

This a painting by Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun. It is called Marie Antoinette and her children and she was a Queen. This painting was suppose to help her reputation by showing that she is a mother. This painting shows that a queen of high authority can have so many things to deal with but, will not forget her most important priority and thats is her children.
She is wealthy and she stands a a good role model for mothers in this time period. This painting also shows how a women can handle other things and manage to take care of her children. I think this picture is the best picture to help women become more active in the everyday life. I am not sure but maybe this help more women to get up and go out to do more things than just be a mother.

Portrait of a Young Woman

I chose this painting by Elisabeth Vigee Labrum called Portrait of a Young Woman. It is dated at 1797, and is currently at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It is unclear exactly who this is a portrait of, but judging by her clothing I can only assume she was not royalty. Although her garments are nice, they do not seem very elaborate or overly elegant. I found Elisabeth Vigee Labrum's paintings very interesting. It seems as though every portrait of a female by her is done with such confidence we can see it through the subjects eyes and expression. This young woman's face give the impression that she is entirely sure in herself as a person and a woman in this world. I think the wind blowing in her hair adds to this effect, and gives the painting a very natural feeling to it. Although Labrum uses dark colors for most of the painting, there is dramatic lighting on her face and hair. Lastly, the fold in her dress are incredibly detailed and rich.