Raphael's Lady with the Unicorn is on display in Naples

Naples is preparing to welcome a Renaissance masterpiece. From March 27 to June 22, 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo’s Gallerie d’Italia will host La Dama col Liocorno by Raffaello Sanzio (Urbino, 1483 - Rome, 1520), on loan from the Galleria Borghese in Rome. The initiative, curated by Michele Coppola, is part of the exhibition L’Ospite illustre, which has been bringing major works from Italian and international collections to the bank’s museums since 2015. After the success of the exhibition dedicated to Velázquez last year, the new appointment marks the sixteenth edition of the project. The work will be displayed in the room that usually houses Caravaggio’s Martyrdom of St. Ursula, temporarily transferred to Palazzo Barberini for the Caravaggio 2025 exhibition. An absence compensated by the presence of Raphael’s youthful painting, whose history is linked to a complex critical and conservation history. Made around 1505, The Lady with the Unicorn has long been the subject of uncertain attributions and profound transformations. Until 1936, the figure portrayed was identified with St. Catherine of Alexandria, since a cogwheel, her typical attribute, appeared instead of a unicorn. In addition, a heavy cloak altered the young woman’s profile and covered part of the background. The work was returned to Raphael by art historian Roberto Longhi in 1927, before a decisive restoration that removed the repainting that had stratified over the centuries.

Radiographic investigations revealed surprising details: before the unicorn, a symbol of chastity, Raphael had painted a small dog, an emblem of fidelity. This suggests that the portrait was intended to celebrate a marriage. The composition of the figure, with her hands elegantly posed and serene gaze turned toward the viewer, testifies to the direct influence of Leonardo da Vinci. Indeed, the setting is reminiscent of the Mona Lisa, which Raphael may have seen as early as 1503, during a brief stay in Florence. The opportunity to observe La Dama col Liocorno in Naples thus presents a reflection on the dialogue between the two masters. If Leonardo revolutionized the genre of the female portrait with the Mona Lisa, Raphael assimilated his lesson and reinterpreted it with a delicate and crystalline elegance. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog published by Società Editrice Allemandi.

“Welcoming the Lady with the Unicorn confirms the strong bond of friendship and collaboration with the Galleria Borghese, a symbol of the beauty and value of Italy’s cultural heritage,” says Michele Coppola, Executive Director Art Culture and Historical Heritage of Intesa Sanpaolo. The “L’ Ospite illustre” review and the editorial series edited by Allemandi testify to the Gallerie d’Italia’s commitment to promoting the knowledge, study and sharing of great masterpieces, while also offering an increasingly wide audience of scholars and enthusiasts opportunities for discovery. Intesa Sanpaolo in recent years has dedicated itself to supporting projects of research and enhancement of the country’s artistic heritage, in a renewed role alongside the most prestigious museums and the most significant collections."

Raphael's Lady with the Unicorn is on display in Naples

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