Een muze c. 1690 - 1757

Rosalba Carriera’s “A Muse,” currently at the Rijksmuseum, is a pastel drawing, demonstrating the artist's mastery of the medium to capture light and texture. The drawing presents a figure gazing upwards, framed by soft, diffused light. Carriera's use of pastel allows for delicate gradations of colour and tone. Notice the powdery texture, particularly visible in the muse’s skin and hair, creating an ethereal quality. The composition, cropped closely around the subject, invites the viewer into an intimate encounter. Carriera’s choice to depict the muse in profile, looking upwards, directs our gaze beyond the confines of the frame, invoking a sense of aspiration and transcendence. The wreath of leaves adorning the muse’s head references classical antiquity. The structural simplicity of the composition—the gentle curve of the neck, the angle of the gaze, and the subtle play of light—reveals Carriera's deep understanding of form and her innovative approach to portraiture. It exemplifies how formal elements can converge to evoke layers of meaning, continuously inviting new interpretations.