New Scientific Analysis Reveals Hidden Details in Raphael's Fornarina

A campaign of diagnostic investigations on Raphael's Fornarina, conducted on January 28-30, 2020, at Palazzo Barberini, has revealed new details about the painting's composition. The analysis, led by Alessandro Cosma of the Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini, used advanced MA-XRF scanning technology developed under the MU.S.A. project. Key findings include the distribution of chemical elements such as calcium, iron, copper, manganese, gold, lead, mercury, and tin. Mercury from cinnabar highlighted a significant modification of the background, first identified in 1983 radiographs. Iron and manganese-based earth pigments were found in the larger leaves, while myrtle branches contain copper green and bone black. The study confirmed a chiaroscuro underdrawing common in early 16th-century painting. The work returns to the museum after an exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale. Despite the new data, questions remain about whether it is a portrait, who commissioned it, and its 16th-century location, with hypotheses pointing to Margherita Luti, Raphael's lover.