Raphael’s The Woman with a Veil (1516)
Raphael’s painting, The Woman with a Veil (1516), exemplifies the values of the Renaissance. This portrait in particular shows a young lady elegantly dressed. A cream-colored veil descending down past her shoulders down her back neatly covers her brown hair. The exquisite detailing of her dress and veil exhibit the attention to detail for which Renaissance painters are known.
She has a few strands of curly hair that are not tucked into her hairdo. Attached to her head band that holds the veil in place is one pearl that stands out against her dark hair. The red of her lips is echoed not only in a rosy glow of her cheek and face but also in the attachment of the pearl. The spectator could almost reach out and touch the fabric on her dress, such is the extreme attention to detail in the portrait.
Her expression is mysterious, though, and begs many questions. Is it sorrow that we see in her eyes? Why does she hold her hand near her chest and/or heart? Has she suffered a moment of heartbreak? Following the Renaissance values, this young woman is very realistic for she seems like a young woman one would see regularly. There is nothing extraordinary about her figure, about her face or about her body, but her portrait is beautiful.
The emotions that she feels are humanistic. Raphael’s treatment of her expression is an excellent example of the Renaissance, or humanist, values to honor knowledge and individuality. The persona represented in this portrait is not necessarily mythological or philosophical, but she is a young woman of the Renaissance. She exemplifies the quest for individuality and remembrance of the Renaissance. The Woman with a Veil (1516), by Raphael illustrates many values of Renaissance art.
