Crown Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony 1739

Rosalba Carriera, a Venetian Rococo painter, made this pastel portrait of Crown Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony. Carriera lived in a society which constrained women's artistic expression, and yet she became one of the most successful portraitists of her era. She created a market for pastel portraits which were in high demand by European aristocracy. Here we see a young man, heir to the throne, adorned in finery, a symbol of status and wealth. However, the softness of the pastel medium, combined with the subject's youth, lends the portrait a vulnerability. Carriera was never fully accepted by the Venetian art establishment. It is worth considering how her gender and class informed her artistic choices, leading her to develop alternative narratives through portraiture. She navigates the strictures of her time, carving out a space for herself and her sitters. Through her skilled use of pastel, she captures not just the likeness of Crown Prince Friedrich Christian, but also a sense of the complexities inherent in identity and power.