The artist, of Lithuanian origins, had already been in Rome for some years: a student at the Academy of Fine Arts of the capital, where she met Mario Mafai and Scipione, she had already gained international experience with her studies in Paris and London , dedicated above all to his musical training. As can be seen in this self-portrait, in fact, Raphaël represents herself with the violin, conferring truth and adherence to the real datum, but with a formal approach inspired by Fauvism and in particular by Chagall that accentuates the choice for a fluid and sentimental style.