La Fornarina (Portrait of a Young Woman). 1772. Copperplate

The woman depicted as a half nude is probably Margherita Luti from Rome, the beloved of the world-famous Raphael. Her nickname La Fornarina (Little Bread-maker) alluded to the fact that she was a baker’s daughter. The assumption that this is Luti seems to be confirmed by the location of the artist’s signature on the model’s bracelet. The myrtle bush behind the woman, as the plant dedicated to Venus, also alludes to love.
There are two legends about the woman’s life after Raphael’s premature death. According to the first, she received a large bequest from the artist, fitting recompense for her long-term loyalty. According to the other legend, La Fornarina moved to a shelter for fallen, but remorseful women in Rome, paying a heavy price for her love.

Domenico Cunego (1727–1803) was an outstanding Italian graphic artist who worked in Berlin and Rome.
The engraving is based on a painting by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483–1520), who was an Italian painter and worked in Rome. He was one of the principal representatives of the Italian High Renaissance.