Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn - Raphael
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic High Renaissance portrait by Raphael, featuring a young woman holding a unicorn, a symbol of purity and virtue.
Painted in Florence during the early years of the sixteenth century, this portrait demonstrates the influence of Leonardo da Vinci on Raphael. The composition mirrors the structure of the Mona Lisa, featuring a seated subject positioned before a loggia that opens onto a distant, atmospheric view. The sitter is depicted in a three-quarter view, her gaze directed towards the viewer with a steady, calm expression.
The inclusion of a small unicorn in the subject's arms is a symbolic choice. In Renaissance iconography, the unicorn represents chastity and purity. The animal is rendered with a sense of quiet presence, its horn pointing upwards, echoing the vertical lines of the architectural columns flanking the figure. The sitter wears a dress with puffed sleeves and a pendant featuring a large ruby and a drop-shaped pearl, details that reflect the fashion of the period and the social status of the woman.
Technical analysis of the painting has revealed that the unicorn was a later addition. X-ray examinations show that the artist originally painted a small dog in the woman's lap, a common symbol of fidelity. The change to a unicorn suggests a shift in the intended meaning of the portrait, perhaps to emphasise the virtue of the sitter upon her marriage. The soft modelling of the face and the delicate handling of the light across the skin are characteristic of Raphael's work during his Florentine period. The palette is balanced, with the warm tones of the sitter's hair and dress contrasting against the cool blues of the sky and the distant hills. This work remains a clear example of the portraiture conventions of the Italian High Renaissance.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn - Raphael
Artist Biography
Raphael
He was born in Urbino, the son of a painter. His father died when he was eleven, and by his teens he was already working in the studio of Perugino, whose smooth, symmetrical compositions gave Raphael his starting point. He surpassed Perugino quickly. He studied Leonardo's sfumato and Michelangelo's anatomical intensity and absorbed both without losing his own clarity. The Madonnas from his Florentine period (the Madonna of the Goldfinch, the Sistine Madonna) have a serene perfection that has been imitated for five hundred years and never matched.
Pope Julius II summoned him to Rome in 1508, the same year he commissioned Michelangelo for the Sistine ceiling. Raphael painted the Stanze della Segnatura: four rooms in the Vatican whose frescoes include The School of Athens, the single most famous image of classical philosophy. Plato and Aristotle walk through an ideal architecture surrounded by every major thinker of the ancient world. Raphael painted Michelangelo into the scene as Heraclitus, brooding alone on the steps. Michelangelo was furious.
He ran a large workshop that produced portraits, altarpieces, tapestry designs, and architectural plans. He was appointed architect of St Peter's Basilica. He was charming, diplomatic, and universally liked, which made Michelangelo dislike him even more.
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