The Portrait of a Young Woman, also known as La Muta, is a portrait by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, c. 1507-1508. It is housed in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, in Urbino.
The picture portrays an unknown noblewoman over a near-black background, showing some Leonardesque influences. Although only recently attributed to Raphael, it is ranked among the best portraits by his hand.
The neatness of the large areas of colour which emerge in lighter tones from the background, and the analytical treatment of the details of the woman's clothing are characteristic of Raphael. The dispersive effect of this attention to detail is fully compensated by the tones of colour - used here in a fairly limited range - which unify the composition as a whole.
X-ray analysis have showed the presence of an early Raphael years drawing under the painting, showing a female, young face with soft features, with later modifications.
Famous quotes containing the words portrait, young and/or woman:
“Giles Lacey: I say, old boy, I’m trying to find exactly what your wife does do.
Maxim de Winter: She sketches a little.
Giles Lacey: Sketches. Oh not this modern stuff, I hope. You know, portrait of a lamp shade upside down to represent a soul in torment.”
—Robert E. Sherwood (1896–1955)
“The way for a young man to rise, is to improve himself every way he can, never suspecting that any body wishes to hinder him.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“Let still the woman take
An elder than herself. So wears she to him;
So sways she level in her husband’s heart.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)