Raphael: Portrait of Young Woman with Unicorn (1506)
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(Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy)
A beautiful
portrait by the Italian artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known a
Raphael. The identity of the young woman, and the client for whom the work was
done, are both unknown. The unicorn itself is a symbol for of purity. Some
people have suggested that this is a portrait of a woman who is about to get
married. Reasons for this are the unicorn (in medieval times people thought that
only a virgin could tame a unicorn). Furthermore, on her pendant she wears a
pearl, something that a married woman would wear. Notice also the small part of
golden hair accessory in the middle of her blond hair. Painting from
1506.