The artwork “Portrait of a Woman (La Muta)” is a distinguished piece by the revered High Renaissance artist Raphael, completed in 1507. This oil on canvas portrait is part of the genre that showcases Raphael’s talent in capturing the subtlety of human expression. It can be admired at the National Gallery of the Marches, located in the Palazzo Ducale di Urbino, Italy, where it remains a testament to the artistic innovation of its time.
The artwork portrays a woman of gentle mien, depicted from the waist up against a muted, dark background. Her gaze is quiet and introspective, with her lips closed in a soft demeanor that has possibly led to the work’s title, ‘La Muta,’ which translates from Italian to ‘The Mute Woman.’ Raphael’s mastery is evident in the delicate rendering of her facial features, the flesh tones conveying a lifelike presence and the subtle play of light that reveals the three-dimensionality of her form.
She is dressed in the finery of the era, her attire consisting of a sumptuous green dress with intricate red-and-white detailing along its neckline. Over the dress, she wears a dark brown garment with sleeves that are tied at the shoulders and elbows with red ribbons, a fashion typical of the period. Notably, her hands are prominently placed in the foreground, one resting on the other, adorned with rings; the interplay of their gentle curvature and the detail in the fingers showcases Raphael’s keen observation.
Around her neck, she wears a thin chain from which a small cross pendant delicately hangs, drawing attention to her modest and perhaps pious character. Moreover, her hair is neatly arranged and subtly crowned with a simple, banded headdress, adding to the elegance and the noble demeanor of her portrait.
Overall, the painting radiates a sense of serene nobility and composed grace, hallmarks of Raphael’s portraiture that reveal the cultural and aesthetic ideals of the High Renaissance.
