Eleonora di Gonzaga, aka the Boston Raphael, falsely attributed to Raffaello ~ ca. 1505
There has been a lot of controversy and scandal around this charming painting. I will not go into these details here, but for who wants to know more about it: see the links at the bottom of this article. What bothers me most is the controversy regarding the creative authorship. Once it was officially established that the painting was not a Raffaello but from a mere Emilian School artist, all interest faded and the painting is now held at the storage of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. And I wonder: how is this painting less lovely just because it is not a Raffaello? How is the girl on the painting less alluring just because she is not a Raffaello? I find this girl truly beguiling, wether she is a real Raffaello or not!
Via: New Criterion, 3pipe.net, Boston Globe, It’s Art Law, Interview with Belinda Rathbone, Speech by Belinda Rathbone
