Intesa Sanpaolo will host Raphael Sanzio’s Lady with a Unicorn, a work from the Galleria Borghese in Rome, at its museum Gallerie d’Italia in Naples. The exhibition, which will run from March 27 to June 22, 2025, follows the success of the exhibition “Velázquez. A grandiose sign” and represents an important edition of the exhibition “L’Ospite illustre”, launched in 2015 and dedicated to the presentation of important works on loan from prestigious Italian and international museums. This will be the sixteenth edition of “L’Ospite illustre”.
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An important artistic placement
The Lady with the Unicorn will be set up in the room dedicated to the Martyrdom of Saint Ursula by Caravaggio. This last painting will be exhibited simultaneously in Rome, at the National Galleries of Ancient Art – Palazzo Barberini, for the exhibition “Caravaggio 2025”.
Significant statements
Michele Coppola, Executive Director of Art, Culture and Historic Heritage at Intesa Sanpaolo, said: “Welcoming the Lady with the Unicorn confirms the solid bond of friendship and collaboration with the Galleria Borghese, a symbol of the beauty and value of Italy's cultural heritage. The exhibition 'L'Ospite illustre' and the editorial series curated by Allemandi demonstrate the commitment of the Gallerie d'Italia to promoting the knowledge, study and sharing of great masterpieces, offering an increasingly wider audience of scholars and enthusiasts opportunities for discovery.” Coppola also underlined how Intesa Sanpaolo has supported research and enhancement projects for the country's artistic heritage.
A complex work
The exhibition will allow us to delve deeper into an early work by Raphael, which has undergone extensive repainting over the years, complicating its attribution. The Lady with the Unicorn is an oil painting on wood, datable to the beginning of 1505. The painting today presents an appearance that is the result of a major restoration operation, carried out following a long critical process. Before the restoration, the subject was identified as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, but in 1927 the work was returned to Raphael by the art historian Roberto Longhi.
Radiographic investigations have revealed that, before the unicorn, Raphael had painted a small dog, indicating that the portrait was probably made for a wedding. Furthermore, the Lady with the Unicorn draws inspiration from the Mona Lisa, which Raphael would have known after his move to Florence at the end of 1504. This work therefore represents a significant moment of comparison with the work of Leonardo, and its study on the occasion of the exhibition offers new reflections on the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world.
Article published on March 26, 2025 - 19pm
The Lady with the Unicorn exhibition seems very interesting but I hope there are other works because art is very vast and we should see more than one painting. In Naples there are many museums.
That's true, but restoration is a complex subject and the works must be treated with care. I hope that the public can truly appreciate the beauty of this work by Raphael.
The 'L'Ospite illustre' exhibition has always brought significant exhibitions, but I wonder if access will be easy for everyone. People should be able to see these masterpieces without difficulty.