Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn
February 10, 2012
THIS COPY of Raphael’s Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn (1506) does not do justice to its incomparable depth and beauty. The colors are not here. But the painting is magnificent even in a lesser form.
The portrait went under many restorations and evaluations over the years before it was conclusively determined in 1927 to be the work of Raphael. It is believed to have been inspired by the Mona Lisa and the subject – the noblewoman Maddalena Doni – shows the same captivating psychological integration. Soul, intellect and affections are in perfect harmony. There is such calm watchfulness in her eyes. She is child and woman all at once.
The unicorn is a medieval symbol of purity. Thus we must conclude that a portrait of a modern woman with a unicorn in her lap would be most inappropriate.
In her Story of Painting, Sister Wendy wrote:
Raphael is one of the most acute of all portraitists, effortlessly cleaving through the external defense of his sitter, yet courteously colluding with whatever image the ego would seek to have portrayed. This duality, looking beneath the surface and yet remaining wholly respectful of the surface, gives an additional layer of meaning to all his portraits. We see, and we know things that we do not see; we are helped to encounter rather than evaluate.
