Girl with a Fan. Pietro Antonio Rotari (Italian, 1707-1762). Pastel on paper, laid down on canvas.Th
Girl with a Fan. Pietro Antonio Rotari (Italian, 1707-1762). Pastel on paper, laid down on canvas.The teasing gaze of the young woman looking directly at us can be read as an erotically charged game instead of a traditional portrait. Both viewer and subject abandon themselves to the illusory game of observing and being observed, to the extent that image and reality become blurred. Gallantry, an integral part of courtly life, also found its way into art, particularly in the Rococo period. The model’s prominent drop earrings with their large baroque pearls add a sensuous dimension to the work – pearls are often associated with Venus. But they also underline her social status. -- source link
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