INSPIRATION: This painting signed by Del Buono, was undoubtedly inspired by Raphael's "Hours of the Day and Night," a series of twelve 16th Century fresco paintings depicting graceful and beautiful, "floating" women, each holding an article (such as an hour glass) symbolizing different points in time in a 24-hours period. The original frescoes have since been covered over with stucco, but have always been attributed to Raphael Santi (Sanzi) (1483-1520) Italy, one of the great painters of the Renaissance. It is believed that Raphael, himself, took inspiration for the women in his Hours from the wall paintings of the Roman ruins of Pompeii.

Revived interest in Renaissance art came about in the early 19th Century, when printers set renditions of Raphael's Hours to paper in the form of engravings. Our "floating lady" is likely a 19th Century inspiration in oil, from one or another of these engravings, of course, from Raphael's Hours.