Portrait of Eleonore Louise Albertine, Comtesse von Schlieben-Sanditten, Freifrau von Keyserlingk, wife of Dietrich Cesarion 1745

Editor: This is Antoine Pesne's "Portrait of Eleonore Louise Albertine," painted in 1745. She looks very poised with that lute! What can you tell us about how symbols operate in this portrait? Curator: Notice how the lute itself operates beyond just being a musical instrument. In Rococo painting, the lute often symbolized cultivated leisure and harmony, and by extension, status and virtue. The painting subtly transmits the idea that Eleonore is not just wealthy, but refined. Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t thought about how the lute works symbolically. The soft light and the garden background also add to that sense of refined leisure, right? Curator: Exactly! Consider the way Pesne employs the then-fashionable Rococo style. Its lightness and ornamental qualities often denote pleasure, freedom and ease. How does that contrast with the lady's somewhat reserved expression? Editor: That’s interesting... perhaps it reveals an emotional restraint expected of women of that time, regardless of their privilege? The feathered hair ornament seems to add some dynamism though. Curator: Precisely. That one little detail can almost symbolize freedom! Portraits like these acted as a display of identity. By carefully considering each element, can we decode their meaning, and what aspects of her identity the Comtesse wished to emphasize. Editor: That really changes how I view portraiture from this era. It's not just about likeness, but communicating social values. I'll definitely look closer at the symbolic elements in other Rococo portraits. Curator: Indeed. The persistent echoes of symbols like the lute reminds us that images have always communicated on many different levels.