Raphael's Amasia, commonly called La Fornarina - Domenico Cunego

A refined 1772 engraving by Domenico Cunego, reproducing Raphael's celebrated portrait of La Fornarina with technical precision.

This print by Domenico Cunego is a reproduction of the famous painting by Raphael, known as La Fornarina. Cunego, an Italian engraver active during the eighteenth century, produced this work in 1772. The original painting, housed in the Palazzo Barberini in Rome, depicts a woman traditionally identified as the baker's daughter, who was said to be Raphael's mistress.

Cunego employs precise line work to translate the tonal qualities of the original oil painting into a monochrome medium. The engraving captures the subject in a half-length pose, her body turned slightly while her gaze meets the viewer. She wears a sheer, draped garment that leaves her upper torso exposed, a stylistic choice characteristic of the High Renaissance portraiture that Raphael mastered. The background consists of dark, dense foliage, which provides a contrast to the lighter skin tones of the figure.

As a master of the burin, Cunego demonstrates technical skill in rendering the soft texture of the fabric and the subtle modelling of the subject's features. The print includes Latin inscriptions at the base, identifying the subject and the location of the original painting at the time of the engraving. This piece reflects the eighteenth-century interest in documenting and disseminating the works of the Old Masters through high-quality printmaking. It remains a clear example of the reproductive print tradition, where engravers sought to capture the spirit and composition of celebrated paintings for a wider audience of collectors and scholars. The work maintains a balance between the classical proportions of the original subject and the refined, controlled technique of the engraver.