User:Catladyfs/Kathleen Gilje

Revised and Restored
La Donna Velata

In 1995, Kathleen Gilje created La Donna Velata, Restored oil on canvas. The painting formed from Raphael’s La Donna Veleta (1516) is one of three portraits of his lifelong Roman mistress Margarita Luti. Contrary to Raphael’s painting which captivates its well-balanced composition, through the opulent white and gold gown, and sheer veil framing the woman's face, Gilje’s version is staggeringly different by adding a black eye to the woman’s gentle face as a bold representation of the timelessness of gender, power, and, violence against women. Gilje explains with La Donna Velata, Restored she was moved by a story from her daughter telling her how a classmate was killed by her father and then later a book which showed a picture of the victim. Most of the time when she addresses important issues in her art they are individual incidents. Each of the pieces Gilje creates is prompted by an individual story, not an agenda.