raphael’s the woman with the veil

Nevada Museum of Art presents Renaissance master’s oil on canvas through March 21.

By RACHEL MILON | March/April 2010

Photo: Courtesy of Nevada Museum of Art

Arte ITALIA, through its relationship with New York-based Foundation for Italian Art & Culture, presents a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of Raphael’s masterpiece painting, The Woman with the Veil, in the E. L. Wiegand Gallery at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno through March 21.

Completed in 1516—four years before Raphael died at age 37—The Woman with the Veil (La Velata in Italian) depicts a woman wearing a veil and embodies some of the high Renaissance master’s distinctive qualities: his control over pigment and color and a serenity that contrasts with the style of his mentors and fellow icons of the era, notably Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

“We are humbled and excited that the highly esteemed Foundation for Italian Art & Culture has made it possible for Arte ITALIA to present this 500-year-old magnificent masterpiece in Nevada for the first time,” says Raymond C. Avansino Jr., Chairman of the E. L. Wiegand Foundation and Arte ITALIA. “With the help of our friends at FIAC, Arte ITALIA is bringing an important Italian Renaissance treasure to Nevada schoolchildren, scholars, aspiring artists, and the public. Unless you visit the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy, you would not have the opportunity to view this superb masterwork.”

David Walker, Executive Director and CEO of the Nevada Museum of Art, says, “Arte ITALIA and the Nevada Museum of Art have collaborated for months to make this a reality. Our relationship is a marriage of missions, and we are thrilled to assist Arte ITALIA with bringing world-class Italian art to Nevada. The opportunity to see Raphael’s The Woman with the Veil is a gift of a lifetime to our community.”

The Woman with the Veil, which opened to the public in Reno in January,  depicts a serene woman looking intently at the viewer. It is believed that the model for the painting is the same woman depicted in other Raphael works including La Fornarina. Scholars have suggested that the woman, Margherita Luti, was Raphael’s lover. In addition to its presentation in Reno, the painting will tour the Portland Art Museum and Milwaukee Art Museum before returning to Italy.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursdays until 8 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $1 for children ages 6 to 12 years. Admission is free for museum members.

Founded in Reno and operated by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation, Arte ITALIA promotes the exploration and conservation of Italian culture, including innovative exhibitions of classic Italian art and culinary programs featuring renowned Italian chefs.

About Raphael

Raphael (1483-1520), also known as Raffaello Sanzio, was born in Urbino, Italy. His father, Giovanni Santi, was a painter and a poet. Raphael trained in his father’s workshop and later in the workshop of the artist Pietro Perugino.

In 1504 he began spending time and perhaps even resided in Florence, where he was influenced by the work of Leonardo da Vinci. Eventually, he moved to Rome, where, under the patronage of Pope Julius II, he entered his most productive phase as an artist.

He managed a large workshop of pupils and assistants, many of whom became well-known artists in their own right. Raphael’s personal life was complex. He never married but was reputed to have had many relationships. In 1514 he became engaged to Maria Bibbiena, the niece of an influential Cardinal and Raphael’s friend. The marriage never took place, and she died in 1520.

Raphael lived a grand lifestyle in Rome and attained some status at court. It is believed that he died on his 37th birthday in 1520. He left a significant portion of his estate to his mistress Margherita Luti, and he was buried in the Pantheon.