Quite possibly Raphael’s most beautiful portrait (and without question, the most beautiful of his works that I have seen in real life) - La Donna Velata, or “The woman with the veil”, is perhaps only rivalled by Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Johannes Vermeer’s “Woman with a Pearl Earring” as being the most sublime portrait of a woman in western art history.
She really is stunning. I was lucky enough to see her in real at a Raphael exhibition a few years back - and to this day, her impact on me has still not fully worn off.
Our passions can be our servant, or our master - if we don't know how to channel our life force, we can exhaust it, and become consumed with our own inner fire.
I believe this is what the skulls at Golgotha, at the bottom of Christ's body during the crucifixion, symbolize. The direction of our life force if tethered to the animal nature may lead to a spiritual death - Christ's warning to us all.
Great post! I recently read Ross King's Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (in part because your substack got me interested in art again). I found this bit really intriguing: Recent X-ray analysis of La Fornarina, Raphael’s 1518 portrait of her, has revealed a square-cut ruby ring on the third finger of her left hand, suggesting another reason why Raphael was anxious to postpone his wedding day: he was already married to Margherita. ... This ring remained unseen for almost five centuries, having been painted over, probably by one of Raphael’s assistants, in order to avoid a scandal after his death.
Such a wonderful portrait, right down to the sumptuous painting of her clothing. I had totally forgotten the story about Raphael’s distraction with Margarita, which I learned of after we visited the Villa Farnesina, about which we knew very little at the time. If of interest, I collected a number of photos of the Villa in this post: https://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/when-in-rome-final-days-part-2-of-2/#more-13581 It is quite the spectacular residence.
We also stayed in Trastevere—had no idea of the Villa. We stumbled across it looking for interesting places close by that were not thronged with tourists! Amazing experience.
I love all the details in his portraits of her. IMO I see the beginning of a small smirk beginning leading me to believe they had a secret between them.
Beautiful work, I just hope the scourge of syphilis rampant at the time, and his age also fits with that, was not the cause of his death as would had meant the same fate for his love. Maybe that is why she is lost to history after that point. Apologies for the downer 🙁 well maybe it was just amorous exhaustion.
Brilliant piece! Especially the bonus works.
Thanks a lot.
What a beautiful painting. I like it even more than the Mona Lisa.
She really is stunning. I was lucky enough to see her in real at a Raphael exhibition a few years back - and to this day, her impact on me has still not fully worn off.
I agree. I do too.
Our passions can be our servant, or our master - if we don't know how to channel our life force, we can exhaust it, and become consumed with our own inner fire.
I believe this is what the skulls at Golgotha, at the bottom of Christ's body during the crucifixion, symbolize. The direction of our life force if tethered to the animal nature may lead to a spiritual death - Christ's warning to us all.
Great post! I recently read Ross King's Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (in part because your substack got me interested in art again). I found this bit really intriguing: Recent X-ray analysis of La Fornarina, Raphael’s 1518 portrait of her, has revealed a square-cut ruby ring on the third finger of her left hand, suggesting another reason why Raphael was anxious to postpone his wedding day: he was already married to Margherita. ... This ring remained unseen for almost five centuries, having been painted over, probably by one of Raphael’s assistants, in order to avoid a scandal after his death.
Wow. What an incredible discovery about the painting. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Such a wonderful portrait, right down to the sumptuous painting of her clothing. I had totally forgotten the story about Raphael’s distraction with Margarita, which I learned of after we visited the Villa Farnesina, about which we knew very little at the time. If of interest, I collected a number of photos of the Villa in this post: https://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/when-in-rome-final-days-part-2-of-2/#more-13581 It is quite the spectacular residence.
Thanks for the link. Spectacular! I am putting this on the list for a future visit to Rome. And to think, we stayed in Trastevere when we were there.
We also stayed in Trastevere—had no idea of the Villa. We stumbled across it looking for interesting places close by that were not thronged with tourists! Amazing experience.
I love that portrait ❤️. Thank you, George.
I love all the details in his portraits of her. IMO I see the beginning of a small smirk beginning leading me to believe they had a secret between them.
I think you’re right. They must have had so many secrets that they kept just for eachother.
Wow, 38!!
Yes, he was still so young.
Especially considering that his nearest rival, Michelangelo, lived till he was almost 90.
Money over love - how sad.
Indeed. And yet, after all these years, it is his love that has still survived.
Beautiful work, I just hope the scourge of syphilis rampant at the time, and his age also fits with that, was not the cause of his death as would had meant the same fate for his love. Maybe that is why she is lost to history after that point. Apologies for the downer 🙁 well maybe it was just amorous exhaustion.