A Woman Putting Flowers in Her Hair

Known for her pioneering use of pastels, Rosalba Carriera’s work is notable for its luminous quality, soft textures, and intricate detail. In A Woman Putting Flowers in Her Hair, Carriera uses light and soft color transitions to highlight the sitter’s serene expression, embodying the Rococo ideals of grace and refinement. She was one of the first artists to adopt ivory in place of vellum as a surface for miniature paintings. Her use of ivory adds complexity to her legacy - by embracing ivory as a medium for miniature portraits, Carriera played a role in sustaining the ivory trade, which was marred by exploitation and cruelty.

Carriera was instrumental in popularizing pastels in portraiture, a medium that allowed her to achieve a softer, more lifelike quality than oil painting. Her clientele included European aristocrats and royals, making her a highly sought-after artist. This piece reflects her keen interest in portraying fashionable women, often capturing the ephemeral beauty of youth and style that resonated with the Rococo period’s ideals of beauty and pleasure. Carriera's success as a woman in a male-dominated art world, particularly within the prestigious French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, was a significant achievement.