Portrait of Mariana Carolina, Grand Duchess of Tuscany 1810 - 1875

Antonio Perfetti created this portrait of Mariana Carolina, Grand Duchess of Tuscany using engraving on paper. The composition centers on a portrait set within an oval, immediately drawing our eyes to the subject’s face. Perfetti skillfully uses hatching and cross-hatching to model the forms and suggest depth. The stippling technique gives the face a soft, almost ethereal quality, typical of Neoclassical portraiture. Notice the subtle gradations of light and shadow that define her features, contrasting with the more textured rendering of her dress and jewelry. The pearls and delicate fabric are rendered with meticulous detail. Perfetti’s engraving reflects the period’s fascination with both classical ideals and detailed realism. The structural clarity of the lines and the balanced composition, rooted in classical principles, are married with a keen attention to detail in representing textures and surfaces. The artistic value lies in its sophisticated play of light and shadow and the technical skill employed to evoke both form and character.