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Case study

The Conservation of Rosalba Carriera’s Pastels of the Four Seasons

Learn about the conservation of a group of four pastel paintings by Rosalba Carriera

Conservation team examining pastel out of its frame
The paper conservation team examine 'Summer' with a raking light source ©

In 2017, Paper Conservators at Royal Collection Trust conserved a group of four pastel paintings by Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera, depicting the personification of the seasons. The artworks were chosen to be displayed together for the first time, as part of the exhibition Canaletto & the Art of Venice at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. On close examination, the pastels presented damages to the media support (the sheet of paper the image is created on) and to the framing package (the enclosure for the artwork to be safely stored and displayed). The works were therefore assessed and treated by a team of conservators with multidisciplinary skills.

Explore the story below

Who was Rosalba Carriera?

The Venetian artist Rosalba Giovanna Carriera was celebrated for developing the art of pastel portraiture.

Working materials

Carriera’s pastel portraits were created with pastel sticks.

Working methods

Carriera prepared her own paper surfaces.

Conservation

The first task was to remove the frames and glass.

Transport and installation

Pastels can rarely be exhibited or lent, as pastel pigment particles are very delicate.

Acknowledgements

This project was made possible through a close collaboration between a team of conservators and internal and external...

Objects featured in this case study

Find out more about the paintings in this case study

Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (Venice 1673-Venice 1757)
A Personification of Autumn c. 1730
    RCIN 400650

    A seated, half-length young woman holds a basket of fruit from which a winged putto plucks a bunch of grapes. The woman has dark hair which is dressed with flowers and ribbons and is naked from the waist up; her lower half is swathed in brown drapery. Entries in Rosalba Carriera's diary indicate that she executed a number of sets of the 'Seasons' in...

    Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (Venice 1673-Venice 1757)
    A Personification of Summer c. 1744
      RCIN 400648

      A pastel on blue paper of an almost half-length figure of a young girl, facing slightly to the left, her head turned slightly to the right, her right arm extended across her half-covered chest to grasp a bunch of fruit; she wears a loose chemise and blue drapery; tree and sky in the background. This pastel was almost certainly part of Joseph Smith's...

      Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (Venice 1673-Venice 1757)
      A Personification of Spring c. 1730
        RCIN 400649

        A seated, nearly half-length young woman, with flowers in her hair, is receiving a garland of flowers from a putto. The woman has blond hair and is partially swathed in white and yellow drapery; her right breast is exposed. Rosalba Carriera made several versions of female allegorical figures representing the Four Seasons. On 25 May 1726 her diaries...

        Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (Venice 1673-Venice 1757)
        A Personification of Winter c. 1726
          RCIN 400647

          A pastel on blue paper of an almost half-length figure of a young girl, facing half to the left, her head lowered and turned half to the right; clasping a fur-trimmed wrap across her naked chest, across which her left arm is extended. At bottom edge, under the frame's fillet, strips of bright fuchsia showing the extent to which some of the pastel...

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