Raphael was the golden boy of High Renaissance Rome. Handsome, elegant and a sensationally talented artist, he charmed everyone in sight. Becoming the darling of the Papacy, Raphael went to create a series of fantastically important art works that grace the walls of the private residences of the Pope, and the Sistine Chapel itself. While it was an environment of high artistic competition, Raphael achieved his goals and has gone down in art history as one of the greatest artists even to live. But you can’t look at this master of the Renaissance without looking at some of his portraits of women. Time out from the Vatican will provide us with respite in the face of one of the most beautiful women ever painting: La Donna Velata.