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A Female Saint

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Notes

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This painting may be an idealised portrait of a woman in the guise of a saint, as she has a thin gold halo above her head. She looks directly at us and presses her right hand against her breast. Her oval face, strong regular features and plaited bound hairstyle give her the appearance of a woman from ancient Rome.

We do not know who painted the picture, although it is likely they were working in Ferrara or Bologna. The painting is related in design to Raphael’s Donna Velata (Palazzo Pitti, Florence) and particularly to a painting by Giulio Romano which was derived from Raphael’s picture.

The frame dates from the seventeenth century and may be original to the painting – both have suffered from the same type of worm damage. The style of the frame is associated with the region of Emilia-Romagna, and particularly Bologna.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

A Female Saint

Date

after 1600

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 95.9 x W 74.3 cm

Accession number

NG4031

Acquisition method

Sir Claude Phillips Bequest, 1924

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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