Portrait of a woman with a mask

An elegant woman with a perfectly oval face and a soft smile sits gazing at the viewer. She is dressed delicately, with flowers sitting atop her curly hair, wearing a pearl bracelet and a ribbon around her arm. Her robe makes one of her shoulders bare, as if representing a sense of sensuality. The whole painting reflects a divine light, grace, and ethereal charm using soft pastel colours. The most important element of the painting is the Venetian mask that the lady is holding in her right hand. The mask signifies the dual nature of identity of the females in the society- the one which faces social criticism and the one which can hide behind the mask and indulge in transgressions of social norms. Thus suspending social hierarchies and moral surveillance. Painted in a Rococo style, the effective grace and charm of the painting has a sense of elegance, lightness and divine beauty.