An Elegant Young Lady with a Lace Cap

Pietro Rotari was an Italian painter born on 30 November 1707 in Verona, Italy. He is best known for his portraits and genre paintings, which were highly sought after by the aristocracy of Europe. Rotari began his artistic career as a pupil of Antonio Balestra, a prominent Venetian painter. He later studied with Francesco Trevisani in Rome and then returned to Venice, where he established himself as a successful artist. Rotari's paintings are characterised by their delicate brushwork, vivid colours and attention to detail. His portraits are particularly notable for their realism and psychological insight. He was also adept at creating scenes of everyday life, such as peasants at work or children at play, which were popular with collectors of the time. As well as painting, Rotari was also a successful art dealer and collector. He travelled extensively throughout Europe, visiting major art centres such as Paris and London, where he acquired works by other artists and sold his own paintings. Rotari died on 31 March 1762 in St Petersburg, Russia, where he had been invited to work for the court of Catherine the Great. Today, his works can be found in major museums and collections around the world, including the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.