For whatever reason, the China Philharmonic, which also enjoys power-housing, is a brighter sounding orchestra with silken strings and modest bass.

The words work beautifully on their own, but Ballerini’s silken delivery deepens their spell.

The picture, painted just before its subject died, is a rich catalog of tactile beauty — soft fur, crepuscular skin, crisp linen, silken hair, coarse embroidery.