Explore the Sex work about the Identity of the figure of this artwork, La Fornarina.
Another theory is that Fornarina was in fact a sex worker and not Raphael's lover. However, Raphael's "signature" on the figure's armband could imply that he did have love for the figure, and possibly felt ownership of the woman. In the painting, the figure is half nude and is wearing a suggestive smile, almost in a "come hither" look. The placement of her slightly open righthand on her left breast shows her nipple and a good amount of her breast; she seems to be teasing the viewer in order to entice them to come closer. The softer facial expression gives an air of familiarity between the subject and the viewer; she is not blank and staring into the eyes of the viewer like portraits of wealthy women, but rather is looking towards the viewer with a half smile like a passing acquaintance. The subject is wearing a yellow scarf across her head that during the Renaissance implied that the woman was a sex worker. Yellow scarves were a requirement for "dishonest women" to wear, these women were ones who willingly took off their clothing for artists which resulted in inspiration for much of the nude art pieces during the Renaissance. If a woman was wearing a yellow scarf across her head, she could show her naked body without prosecution. Courtesans were widely used in European culture beginning during the Renaissance; their existence and their depiction was a way for people to explore sexual relationships based on the ideals of classical writings on the subject.
Raphael Courtesan