Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (1675-1757) - Lot 9

Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (1675-1757) Portrait of Jean Leblond, Consul of France in Venice (1718-1759) Circa 1727 Miniature on ivory H_10 cm W_7 cm Our miniature portrait is a reproduction of the pastel portrait of Jean Leblond, Consul of France in Venice, painted in 1727 by Rosalba Carriera and now in the Gallerie Accademia Venezia. Between 1718 and 1759, Jean Leblond was a key figure in the political life of the Serenissima. Born into a family that had held this position since 1679 until 1793, Leblond was perfectly integrated and initiated into Venetian institutions. Venice was an important strategic trading point at the time, and it was no doubt in this context that he met Rosalba Carriera. The artist, after a trip to France where she received a large number of commissions from members of the Court, including the young King Louis XV, introduced pastels and miniatures on ivory. Until then, artists had worked mainly on vellum, but preparation was more complicated and the technique offered fewer possibilities than ivory, which allowed the artist to play with the transparency of the material to treat skin tones. Rosalba Carriera was one of the most famous artists of the 18th century, recognized for her major role in the art of miniature portraiture. A native of Venice, she distinguished herself by creating snuffbox lids decorated with portraits painted in gouache on ivory, an innovative medium at the time, before elevating miniature painting to the status of a refined and sought-after art form in the European courts. Thanks to her technical mastery and sensitivity, Carriera was able to give her miniatures a rare expressiveness, making her a central figure of the Rococo movement and one of the major portrait painters of the 18th century. Our miniature is a perfect example of Rosalba's work, combining finesse of execution and delicacy of tone. Rosalba regularly transposed her pastel work onto miniatures, as witnessed by the miniature version of the portrait of Marco Ricci, another important Venetian artist, which passed under Christie's hammer on October 15, 1996 under lot 222. lot 222. Bibliography Jean Leblond: un consul diplomate à Venise (1718-1759), Marion Soutet, Thesis, 2017, under the direction of Olivier Poncet M.FAVILLA - R.RUGOLO, I ritratti in miniatura di Rosalba Carriera nelle collezioni dei Musei Civici Veniziani, Bollettino dei Musei Civici Veneziani", III serie, Massimo Favilla, Ruggero Rugolo, n 13, 2018 Provenance: Prestigious French collection before 1975 Expert: Cabinet Artéon Valid CITES will be delivered to the buyer