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Portrait of a gentlewoman called la Muta
Flagellation
Ideal city
Madonna of Senigallia
Crucifixion
Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and his son Guidobaldo
Madonna and Child, St. John the Baptist and St. Anna
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Sant'Ambrogio
Bartolo from Sassoferrato
Miracle of the profaned Host
The miraculous catch
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Alcove of the Duke
Refreshment
Federico's study
Device with winch
Five times
Madonna and Child Enthroned and Saints known as the Montefiorentino Polyptych
David contemplates Goliath's taken off head
St. Francis receives the stigmata
Portrait of a gentlewoman called la Muta
Flagellation
Ideal city
Madonna of Senigallia
Crucifixion
Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and his son Guidobaldo
Madonna and Child, St. John the Baptist and St. Anna
Madonna of San Simone
Sant'Ambrogio
Bartolo from Sassoferrato
Miracle of the profaned Host
The miraculous catch
Resurrection
Alcove of the Duke
Refreshment
Federico's study
Device with winch
Five times
Madonna and Child Enthroned and Saints known as the Montefiorentino Polyptych
David contemplates Goliath's taken off head
St. Francis receives the stigmata

Portrait of a gentlewoman called la Muta

Raffaello Sanzio

Displayed in:

National Gallery of the Marche – Ducal Palace of Urbino

National Gallery of the Marche – Ducal Palace of Urbino

Piazza Rinascimento 13, Urbino

Closed today: open Tuesday at 08:30

Verified profile

The lady portrayed by Raphael is most likely Giovanna Feltria della Rovere, daughter of Federico da Montefeltro and mother of Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino from 1508 to 1538, also known as Raphael's protector. This enigmatic lady probably owes the nickname “Muta” to her perfectly sealed lips. The setting of the three-quarter figure, with its gradual emergence from the shadows, is a typical representation of Leonardo da Vinci, also used by Raphael in female portraits of the same period. This choice allows you to make the character more expressive and better describe the details of the clothing. In Raphael's portraits, clothing is of great importance and indicates both the social role of the person depicted and the idealization of the pose. The woman in the portrait wears the “gamurra”, the typical dress of the early sixteenth century. From diagnostic investigations carried out on the oil painted panel, it appears that under the current image there is another version of the painting. Probably Raphael painted the same subject in two different phases. The first draft dates back to the youth period, when the woman is represented with softer shapes, with wavy hair and a wider neckline. The figure now visible, on the other hand, shows signs of austerity in the face, the hair gathered, a slightly different position of the shoulders and no longer has the neckline. The change from the first version is probably due to the fact that Giovanna was widowed by Giovanni della Rovere in 1501. Note the dominant green color of her dress as well as the detail of the handkerchief that the woman holds in her left hand, both of which are «symbol of mourning and widowhood .
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Details

Title: Portrait of a gentlewoman called la Muta

Author: Raffaello Sanzio

Date: 1505-1509

Technique: oil on the table

Displayed in: National Gallery of the Marche – Ducal Palace of Urbino

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