Most art historians agree that this celebrated High Renaissance canvas depicts Raphael’s beloved mistress and muse, Margherita Luti, famously known as "La Fornarina" (the baker's daughter). The semi-nude young woman is runner in an intimate setting against a dense backdrop of myrtle and laurel leaves, traditional symbols of matrimonial fidelity and love. She gently holds a sheer veil against her breast, her head crowned with an elegant oriental-style turban. Historical analysis indicates that following Raphael's untimely death, his prominent pupil Giulio Romano altered parts of the composition, notably adding or reinforcing the armlet inscribed with Raphael Urbinas on the woman's left arm to immortalize the master's name and his bond with his model.