Rediscovered Rosalba Carriera pastel portrait found at Tatton Park

A pastel portrait by Rosalba Carriera, long dismissed as a copy, has been rediscovered in storage at Tatton Park in Cheshire, UK, after 35 years. The work, titled Ritratto di ragazza tirolese (Portrait of a Tyrolean Girl), was authenticated by Frick Collection curator Xavier Salomon, who found a devotional card on the back—a signature practice of Carriera. The portrait is linked to 18th-century inventories and was likely acquired by Samuel Egerton, owner of Tatton Park from 1758, through Venetian dealer Joseph Smith. The Frick Collection, currently housed in the Breuer Building in New York, is also presenting a dialogue between Carriera's pastel Portrait of a Man in Pilgrim Costume (ca. 1730) and contemporary works by Nicolas Party. 2023 marks the 350th anniversary of Carriera's birth, prompting exhibitions in Dresden (a major retrospective) and Venice at Ca' Rezzonico (Rosalba Carriera. Miniature su avorio, through January 9, 2024). Carriera (Venice, 1653–1757) was a celebrated Rococo portraitist known for her pastel technique and miniatures on ivory, and she managed a successful all-female workshop. The rediscovered portrait will be restored and displayed in Tatton Park's Yellow Drawing Room.