Raphael [Raffaello Santi]
Emilia Pia da Montefeltro
1496-1506
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Raphael [Raffaello Santi]
Emilia Pia da Montefeltro
1496-1506
Physical Qualities
Oil and possibly tempera on wood panel, 16 3/4 x 11 1/4 in. (42.5 x 28.6 cm.)
Credit Line
The Jacob Epstein Collection
Object Number
1951.114
…my lady, Emilia Pia… was endowed with such lively wit and judgment…it seemed as if… everyone gained wisdom and worth from her.
With these words, Baldassare Castiglione, author of The Book of the Courtier, 1507, immortalized the bright, witty Emilia Pia who lived at Italy’s sophisticated Court of Urbino.
The Renaissance master Raphael, who grew up at court, painted Emilia as a young widow in black mourning garb and veil edged in lace. The light and shadow playing ever so subtly across her face suggests a strong and vital spirit despite the fact that she had lost her husband at an early stage.
“Elegant and vivacious with a quick skeptical mind.” Emilia led artists, poets, and scholars in witty repartee and after-dinner discussions about literature, art, philosophy, and the qualities of grace and honor expected of a courtier and court lady.
The Baltimore Museum of Art on deposit; the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, by bequest, 1945; Jacob Epstein, Baltimore, by purchase, December 8, 1925; from F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc., New York, New York, received by October 5, 1925 and purchased on December 8, 1925; from W. Bohler, Lucerne Fine Art and Co Lit [Julius Böhler (1860-1934), Kunsthandlung Böhler (founded 1880) Munich, Germany; Julius W. Böhler (1883–1966) and Fritz Steinmeyer, Böhler & Steinmeyer, later known as Kunsthandel AG Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland (founded 1920); Böhler and Steinmeyer, New York, New York (1923-34); Böhler and Steinmeyer, Berlin, Germany (1928-32)]; Coray-Stoop Collection, Erlenbach, Switzerland (near Vienna), 1925; Vienna art market, early 1920's (possibly Galerie Sanct Lucas, Palais Pallavicini, Vienna, Austria, early 1920s); possibly Miethke, Dorotheer-Gasse, Vienna, c. 1924 (H.O. Miethke (1834-1911) of Miethke Gallery, Palais Eskeles, Dorotheergasse no. 11, Vienna, Austria); possibly Colonna Family, Rome, Italy, 1890-1900; possibly Fondaco dei Tedeschi, Venice; inventory of the Medici, Florence, 1654 sent to Medici, Florence, crate no. 224, “della guardaroba d’Urbino”; collections of the Duchy of Urbino, inventory of the Palazzo Ducale of Urbino, 30 June 1631; inventory of the collections of the Duke of Urbino, Palazzo and Guardaroba of Pesaro, and other locations in Pesaro, between 26 September 1623 and 19 January 1624.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, 'Bacchiacca and His Friends,' January 10 to February 19, 1961; exhibition cat. ('BMA News Quarterly,' Vol. XXIV, No. 2, Winter 1961), cat. no. 31, p. 47, repr. p. 48.
E. Durand-Greville, "Troise Portraits meconnus de la jeunesse de Raphael," "Revue de l'art ancien et moderne," 17 (1905): 377-86.
Georg Gronau, I ritratti di Guidobaldo da Montefeltro e di Elisabetta Gonzaga in Firenze, "Bollettino d'Arte" ser. 2, 4, no. 2 (1924-25):443-60.
Francesco Filippini, Raffaello a Bologna, "Cronache d'Arte" 2, (1925):201-34.
Ella S. Siple, Recent Acquisitions by American Collectors, "Burlington Magazine" 51, (December 1927):297-309.
J. Scott Taylor, "A New Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga?" "Burlington Magazine" 52, (March 1928):143-44.
Alfred M. Frankfurter, "Thirty-five Portraits from American Collections," "Art News," supplement, May 16, 1931.
Bernard Berenson, "Italian Pictures of the Renaissance," Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932, p. 479.
Oskar Fischel, "Raphael Santi," "Thieme-Becker," "Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler," 37 vols. Leipzig: E. A. Seeman, 1935, 29:435.
"The Jacob Epstein Collection in The Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: published by Jacob Epstein, 1939, pp. 18-19.
Alfred M. Frankfurter, "Great Renaissance Portraits," "Art News" 38, no. 24 (March 16, 1940):7-9.
"Ladies of the Renaissance," "New York Times," Supplement, March 10, 1940.
Sergio Ortolani, "Raffaello," 2nd ed. Bergamo: Instituto italiano d'arti grafiche, 1945, p. 23.
W.E. Suida, "Raphael," London: Phaidon Press, 1948, p. 6.
E. Durand-Greville, "Troise Portraits meconnus de la jeunesse de Raphael," "Revue de l'art ancien et moderne," 17 (1905): 377-86.
Georg Gronau, I ritratti di Guidobaldo da Montefeltro e di Elisabetta Gonzaga in Firenze, "Bollettino d'Arte" ser. 2, 4, no. 2 (1924-25): 443-60.
Francesco Filippini, Raffaello a Bologna, "Cronache d'Arte" 2, (1925):201-34.
Ella S. Siple, Recent Acquisitions by American Collectors, "Burlington Magazine" 51, (December 1927):297-309.
J. Scott Taylor, "A New Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga?" "Burlington Magazine" 52, (March 1928):143-44.
Alfred M. Frankfurter, "Thirty-five Portraits from American Collections," "Art News," supplement, May 16, 1931.
Bernard Berenson, "Italian Pictures of the Renaissance," Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932, p. 479.
Oskar Fischel, "Raphael Santi," "Thieme-Becker," "Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler," 37 vols. Leipzig: E. A. Seeman, 1935, 29:435.
"The Jacob Epstein Collection in The Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: published by Jacob Epstein, 1939, pp. 18-19.
Alfred M. Frankfurter, "Great Renaissance Portraits," "Art News" 38, no. 24 (March 16, 1940):7-9.
"Ladies of the Renaissance," "New York Times," Supplement, March 10, 1940.
Sergio Ortolani, "Raffaello," 2nd ed. Bergamo: Instituto italiano d'arti grafiche, 1945, p. 23.
W.E. Suida, "Raphael," London: Phaidon Press, 1948, p. 6.
Jan Lauts, "Isabella d'Este, Furstin der Renaissance," 1474-1539, Hamburg: M. von Schroder, 1952, fig. 35.
Roberto Longhi, Percorso di Raffaello giovane, "Paragone" 6, no. 65 (May 1955):22.
"A Picture Book: 200 Objects in The Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 1955, p. 19.
Carlo Volpe, "Due questioni Raffaellesche," "Paragone" 7, no. 75 (March 1956):17, n. 12.
"Art Object of the Week, Rotogravure Section," "Sunday Sun," October 24, 1957.
Baldassare Castiglione, trans. by C.S. Singleton, "The Book of the Courtier," Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1959, reprod. Fig. 8.
Ursula B. Schmitt, Francesco Bonsignori, "Munchner Jahrbuch der Bildenden Kunst," ser. 3, 12 (1961): fig. 27, p. 99; pp. 101-2, no. 1, p. 113.
Ettore Camesasca, trans. L. Gross, "All the Paintings of Raphael," 2 vols. New York: Hawthorne Books, 1963, 1:44- 45.
Anna Maria Brizio, "Raphael," "Encyclopedia of World Art," 15 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966, 11:845.
Pierluigi De Vecchi, “L’Opera Completa di Rafffaello,” Milan: Rizzoli, 1966, no. 41, p. 92.
Mario Salmi, et al. "The Complete Work of Raphael," New York: F. Reynal, 1969, p. 38, fig. 33.
Luitpold Dussler, trans. by S. Cruft, "Raphael, A Critical Catalogue of His Pictures, Wall-Paintings and Tapestries," London and New York: Phaidon Press, 1971, pp. 56 & 59.
Maria Luisa Rizzatti, “I Geni dell’Arte: Raffaello” (Verona: Mondadori, 1975).
F. Sangiori, “Documenti Urbinati, Inventari del Palazzo Ducale (1582-1631)” Urbino: Accademia Raffaello, 1976, p. 339 and notes.
Gertrude Rosenthal, et al. "Italian Paintings XIV-XVIIth Centuries from the Collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore: Baltimore Museum of Art, 1980, pp. 149-161, ill. p. 148.
David Alan Brown, "Raphael and America," Washington D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1983, pp. 115-119, 205, ill. (color) p. 116, n. 24-43, p. 189.
Maria Grazia Ciardi Dupprè Poggetto, and Paolo Dal Poggetto. “Urbino e le Marche prima e dopo Raffaello” Firenze: Nuova Salani Editrice, 1983, cat. no. 61, p. 251–53.
Pierluigi De Vecchi, “Rafffaello: La Mimesi, L’Armonia, e L’Invenzione,” Florence: Edizione D’Arte Il Fiorino, 1995, p. 246.
Eleonora Luciano, “Medals of Women from the Italian Renaissance Courts: From Cecilia Gonzaga to Isabella of Aragon” (unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana University, 1997), p. 31, 141-2.
Konrad Oberhuber, “Raphael: The Paintings,” Munich, New York: Prestel, 1999, p. 43.
Christoph Wagner, "Farbe und Metapher," Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1999, p. 518, ill. no. 23.
Mauro Lucco, “A New Portrait by Raphael and Its Historical Context”, “Artibus et Historiae” 41 (2000), pp. 57–58, fig. 6.
Jürg Meyer zur Capellen, “Raphael A Critical Catalogue of His Paintings. 3 vols.” Landshut, Germany: Arcos, 2001–2008. Vol 1 (2001), pp. 311-4, ill X-12, p 312.
Marco Cattini and Anna Maria Ori, "La citta e il territorio dai Pio agli Estensi (secc. XIV-XVIII)," Mucchi: Modena, 2009, fig. 44, color ill.
Claudio Strinati, "Raffaello Universale," Reggio Emilia: Scripta Maneant, 2010, ill.
On View at the BMA
