Symbols Kills Well with Others Deanna Raybourn

Raphael's Leda and the Swan: Symbol of Unfinished Business and Redemption

What Is Raphael's Leda and the Swan in the Novel?

Raphael's Leda and the Swan is a fictional lost Renaissance painting that serves as the central plot MacGuffin and a rich symbol in Killers of a Certain Age. In the story, it is a genuine Raphael canvas—one of only three surviving paintings by the master with a Greek mythological theme. The painting depicts Leda being embraced by Zeus in the form of a swan, with a clutch of four eggs at their feet. It was commissioned by Pope Leo X as a gift for King Francis I of France and hung at Fontainebleau until it was sold into private hands. During World War II, it was looted from a Jewish collector in Salzburg by the Nazi art thief Albrecht Danner, who smuggled it to Egypt and hid it in the Valley of the Kings. After the war, the painting remained hidden for decades, until the team of assassins—Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie—first encountered it in 1994 during their mission to kill Nazi-connected trafficker Fermín Bosque. The painting's estimated value is over $120 million, making it the most valuable piece in Bosque's cache.

Where the Painting Recurs in the Narrative

The painting first appears in the 1994 timeline (Chapter Twenty-Two) when the Museum's Provenance agent Marilyn Carstairs briefs the team. Billie identifies it immediately from an image in the catalog, and the team plans to recover it along with killing Bosque. However, they fail—Bosque had already moved the painting out of his cave before the team arrived, and it vanished for decades. The painting becomes their "white whale," a symbol of a job left unfinished.

In the present-day timeline, the painting resurfaces when Galina Lazarov, a rival assassin, learns that Jovan Murić, a Montenegrin gangster, has possession of it. Galina kills Murić's associate and steals the painting, sparking the new conflict. The team realizes that recovering Leda is not just about securing a priceless artifact but about confronting their past failure and finally completing the mission that has haunted them for thirty years. They ultimately retrieve it on a train in Montenegro (Chapter Thirty), after killing Galina and her team, and later hand it over to Naomi for repatriation (Chapter Thirty-One). In the final chapter (Chapter Thirty-Two), the painting is not physically present, but its legacy lingers: the women toast themselves as "necessary monsters" in front of a Fini painting, having achieved closure.

How the Painting's Meaning Changes Over the Course of the Novel

Initially, Leda and the Swan represents a wound—a tangible reminder of the one failure in the team's otherwise flawless record. Billie's description of the painting as "the one that got away" (as Helen calls it in Chapter Twenty-Seven) underscores its role as a symbol of unfinished business. It embodies the historical trauma of Nazi loot and the team's own guilt over not having saved it in time.

As the present-day plot unfolds, the painting transforms into a driving goal that justifies the team's return to action. It is no longer just a lost artifact but the key to defeating Galina and to proving that the aging assassins still have what it takes. The pursuit of Leda forces them to reexamine their skills, their loyalty to each other, and their willingness to risk everything for a mission that matters.

After recovery, the painting becomes a symbol of redemption and closure. When Helen opens the backpack and the moonlight illuminates the canvas, the team feels an almost spiritual connection: "she made that rocky Montenegrin mountainside holy" (Chapter Thirty). The painting's endurance—surviving war, theft, and decades in caves—mirrors the women's own resilience. By repatriating it, they honor not only their own legacy but the original victims of the Nazi looting. The final glimpse of the painting in Chapter Thirty-One, when Naomi packs it away, carries a sense of peaceful finality. Billie hopes it will go to people who love it, reflecting her own desire for a settled, loving future with Taverner.

Connections to Characters and Themes

Character Connections

  • Billie Webster: The painting triggers an immediate, visceral reaction in Billie. She feels she has "always known" the image, even though she has never seen it before. Her identification of its importance establishes her expertise and leadership. The failed retrieval in 1994 haunts her, and recovering it in the present feels like personal vindication. In the end, she rides away with Taverner, having achieved closure on both the mission and their relationship.

  • Helen: The voice of reason, Helen frames the painting as the team's "white whale." She also takes physical responsibility for it, carrying it in her backpack during the mountain trek. Her pragmatic care for the artifact mirrors her emotional care for the team.

  • Mary Alice: Initially skeptical of the painting's value ("everybody and their cat has painted a version of this"), she comes to appreciate its significance. Her willingness to guard the chicken Natalie brought onboard shows her protective nature, which extends to the painting as well.

  • Natalie: The artist of the group, Nat is immediately awed by the painting's beauty and rarity. She calculates its monetary value and understands its cultural significance. Her own artistic sensibility aligns with the painting's status as a masterpiece.

  • Marilyn Carstairs: The Provenance agent who briefs the team in 1994, Marilyn's cool professionalism contrasts with Billie's emotional engagement. Her role as gatekeeper of the painting's history links the Museum's archival function to the team's field work.

Theme Connections

  • Aging and Competence: The team's failure to retrieve the painting in 1994 fuels doubts about their abilities as they age. Successfully recovering it in 2025 proves they are still capable, despite being older, slower, and physically battered. The painting's endurance across centuries parallels their own persistence.

  • Loyalty and Chosen Family: The team's bond is reinforced by their shared history with the painting. They succeed where they once failed because they trust each other implicitly. The decision to involve the chicken, to carry it together, and to share the final moment of victory all underscore their chosen-family dynamics.

  • Deception and Disguise: The painting's history is itself a series of deceptions: it was stolen and hidden, mislabeled as furniture, and later traded in secret. The team's own work involves constant disguise and misdirection. The painting's elusive nature mirrors their own way of moving through the world.

  • Revenge and Justice: Recovering the painting is an act of justice—restoring a Nazi-looted work to the original family's heirs. It also serves as revenge against Galina, who tried to profit from it. The team's pursuit of Leda becomes a moral crusade.

  • Art and Legacy: The painting represents the enduring power of art to outlast tyranny. Its survival mirrors the women's own legacy as "necessary monsters" (as they toast themselves in the final chapter). They, like the painting, are artifacts of a violent history that deserve appreciation and care.

Study Questions with Answers

1. How does the team's initial failure to retrieve Raphael's Leda and the Swan in 1994 shape their motivation in the present-day plot?

The failure becomes a driving psychological force. The painting is described as their "white whale"—a singular unfinished mission that gnaws at their pride and sense of competence. When they learn it has resurfaced, they see a chance to correct a past mistake and prove that age has not diminished their abilities. The recovery is not just a professional objective but a personal redemption.

2. In what ways does the painting's history of being looted by Nazis and hidden in Egypt parallel the team's own experiences?

Both the painting and the team have been hidden, misjudged, and underestimated. The painting endured decades in a cave, while the women survived near-eradication by the Museum and lived in obscurity. Both have been resilient to decay and destruction. The painting's survival against the odds mirrors the team's refusal to be written off, and its eventual repatriation parallels their own pursuit of a peaceful retirement.

3. Why does Billie feel an immediate, almost instinctive connection to Leda and the Swan when she first sees the catalog image? What does this reveal about her character?

Billie feels she has "always known" the image, despite never seeing it before. This suggests a deep, intuitive understanding of art and history, as well as a personal resonance with the painting's themes of power and beauty. It reveals her as someone who values legacy and meaning, not just the kill. Her connection to Leda also foreshadows her later decision to retire with Taverner and seek a life of purpose beyond assassination.

4. Explain how the painting's final recovery and repatriation serve as a symbol of closure for the team, particularly in relation to their own identities as "necessary monsters."

When the team recovers the painting, they move from being haunted by the past to actively shaping their future. By repatriating it to the original family, they restore something stolen by the Nazis, aligning themselves with justice rather than mere violence. This act allows them to reclaim their identity not as broken killers but as moral agents who have completed a mission of restitution. Their toast to "necessary monsters" in front of Leonor Fini's Shepherdess of the Sphinxes (Chapter Thirty-Two) underscores that they, like the painting, are complex artifacts that must be appreciated for what they are: dangerous but necessary forces in a world that often forgets its history.