Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga

The Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga (c. 1504) at the Uffizi depicts the Duchess of Urbino — wife of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro and one of the central figures in Castiglione's Book of the Courtier — with the formal dignity appropriate to her rank. Her court at Urbino was one of the most cultivated in Italy, and the famous scorpion medallion she wears was her personal device. Raphael painted several members of the Urbino court before his departure for Florence and Rome, and these portraits document the world of his formation with a precision that gives them historical as well as artistic value. The serene composure of the Duchess's expression reflects both the formality of court portraiture and Raphael's characteristic gift for dignified but not rigid characterization.

Raphael's precise, delicate handling captures the duchess's reserved dignity, with the dark background and frontal pose emphasizing the elaborate headdress and the unusual forehead jewel.