Marianna Carlavarijs

Marianna Carlevarijs, daughter of the vedute painter Luca Carlevarijs, was supported by the Zenobio family of Venice, which allowed her to receive an education in the arts at a time when such opportunities were rarely available to women. Contemporary sources record her as a pupil of the renowned Rosalba Carriera, with one noting, “Mariana è brava Pittrice di ritratti, e fu allieva di Rosalba Carriera” (Temanza, cited by Pedrocco, 2003). While women artists were generally confined to limited spaces—often excluded from public commissions and independent professional practice—Carlevarijs’ noble connections and familial support provided her with some advantages, enabling her to receive formal training and gain recognition in Venice’s artistic circles.

Despite these privileges, Carlevarijs still faced the structural gendered barriers of her time. Her work in pastels, for instance, was often confused with that of male artists such as Lazzari, whose techniques were similar to Carriera’s. However, Carlevarijs’ distinctive round eyes in her portraits helped to differentiate her work. A miniature copy of Carriera’s Ragazza Tirolese, part of the Strawberry Hill sale and now in the collection of the Earl of Derby, exemplifies this intersection of Carlevarijs’ influence and training under a pioneering female artist.

Carlevarijs’ ability to navigate her position as a female artist in 18th-century Venice, while benefiting from her noble background, speaks to the intersectional dynamics of class and gender. Though she enjoyed some opportunities unavailable to many women, her artistic achievements were still constrained by the prevailing social structures that often relegated women artists to lesser roles. Additionally, records from the Venetian parish of S. Raffaelo Arcangelo in 1748 suggest that Carlevarijs married Antoine Tamagno, a lawyer, further highlighting the complex intersections of gender, marriage, and professional identity during her time.