The artwork titled “Cardinal Melchior de Polignac,” created by Rosalba Carriera in 1732, is a pastel portrait belonging to the Rococo art movement. This significant piece is currently housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Venice, Italy.
The artwork is a meticulously rendered portrait of Cardinal Melchior de Polignac, displaying a keen attention to detail and texture that is characteristic of Carriera’s style. The cardinal is garbed in ecclesiastical attire, adorned with a red biretta and a prominent, detailed decoration around his neck. The subject’s countenance is depicted with a solemn and contemplative expression, framed by softly executed white hair. The pastel medium allows for delicate gradations of color, adding to the lifelike and vivid quality of the portrait. The background is rendered in dark, muted tones, bringing the subject into sharp relief and emphasizing the regality and dignity of the cardinal.
