feature article - may 2010

Art Museum hosts Raphael’s famous
“Woman with the Veil”

ONE OF THE MOST celebrated paintings of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael: The Woman with the Veil (La Donna Velata), is on view at the Milwaukee Art Museum through June 6. It’s a portrait that was once considered the most famous painting in the world.

Completed circa 1516 – four years before Raphael died at age 37 – the painting has had a profound influence on artists and writers both of his day and since. Not only is it beautifully painted, but a myth of intrigue envelops the work: there is a long-held belief that the sitter was Raphael’s lover and muse.

Responding to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Raphael developed in this portrait his own idea of female beauty and deportment. Art historians have variously identified this woman as a patron’s bride and as the artist’s mistress, and she appears as a model in many of Raphael’s most important works.

Laurie Winters, director of exhibitions at MAM, notes, “We understand that The Woman with the Veil will not leave Florence again for many years because of its artistic and cultural significance. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the greatest paintings of the Italian Renaissance outside of Italy.”

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Thursdays until 8 p.m. Admission includes this special exhibit and is $12 for adults and $10 for students, seniors and active military, and is free for members and children 12 and under.