In Italy, a New Unknown Raphael Painting - Magdalene - Found in Private Collection

In Italy, in one of the private collections, an unknown painting by Raphael, dated to 1504, has been discovered, as reported by TGCOM24.

The masterpiece by the genius artist, which had been kept in a private collection for decades, measures 46 by 34 centimetres and is painted on a poplar wood panel.

There are several versions of the Magdalene portrait: Perugino's work in the Palatine Gallery and another in Villa Borghese, attributed to his workshop.

According to the researchers, this new version of Raphael, who was himself a student of Perugino, is even earlier.

The announcement of the discovery was made in Pesaro (Pesaro-Urbino) during the international conference 'Ideal Beauty – The Vision of Raphael Sanzio.' It is based on research published in the scientific journal 'Open Science, Art & Science' titled 'Raphael's Magdalene or When the Student Surpasses the Master.'

Among the experts who spoke at the conference were Maria Cecilia Vincentini, a papal professor specializing in the religious iconography of the Servants of Mary; Annalisa Di Maria, a leading international expert on Leonardo da Vinci and Italian Renaissance, specializing in Neoplatonism, Honorary Professor at the Sorbonne; and Andrea da Montefeltro, a researcher and sculptor.

Raphael's authorship is substantiated by experts through the use of the 'underdrawing' technique for transferring the preparatory drawing, confirmed by laboratory analyses conducted by ART & Co, a subsidiary of the University of Camerino.

"In the image of the Christian saint, who, according to the Gospel, was present at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Raphael depicted the wife of his teacher Pietro Perugino - Chiara Fancelli," explained the experts.

Furthermore, this version of Raphael is considered superior from a stylistic and technical standpoint, thanks to the refinement and harmony of the composition and the use of nuances that highlight the influence of Leonardo da Vinci on the young artist from Urbino.

Finally, the research also analyses the mathematical proportions used by Raphael. According to Annalisa Di Maria, the painting represents a "turning point: the artist from Urbino found his own language, breaking free from Perugino's style.