Document Analysis
The Marriage of the Virgin
1500-1504
Oil on round headed panel
170x121cm
Pinacoteca di Brera , Milan
Raffaello Sanzio, known as Raphael
I have chosen The Marriage of the Virgin as a document analysis because I want to contrast this work with works of Perugino, especially Christ giving the Keys to St Peter (1481-1482) and also The Marriage of the Virgin (1500-1504). Raphael was commissioned to produce the work by the Albizzini family of Città di Castello (scala 8) for the chapel of St Joseph in the Church of San Francesco. In comparison to the two works of Perugino the similarities are easily recognised. However although we can date Perugino's earlier work between 1481and1482, his Marriage of the Virgin can only be dated from between 1500 and 1504. Raphael helpfully named himself and dated his work in the middle of the temple and so we know definitely it was finished in 1504, so although it would seem likely, one should be cautious to date Perugino's Marriage of the Virgin earlier than Raphael's.
Pietro Perugino's usage of perspective in this fre...
The Marriage of the Virgin (Raphael) showing the T...
Marriage of the VirginIn 1504 Raphael was twenty one years old and was still an apprentice in the school of Perugino,and he executed it prior to his stay in Florence, and so it is natural to assume his work was still greatly influenced by his master. The painting has significant parallels with the Christ giving the Keys to St Peter in the Sistine Chapel. As in the earlier fresco, Raphael uses the same structural format. The pavilion is the dominating central focus which gives the depth of the scene in relation to the figures of the foreground. The figures between the pavilion and the frontal scene is proportional in size and shows Raphael's confidence in the use of perspective. The landscape shows the influence of Perugino, the viewer may...