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Primary sourcePainting1504

The Marriage of the Virgin

Raphael · 1504

An oil painting by Raphael showing the betrothal of the Virgin Mary and Joseph before a domed temple, signed and dated 1504.

Signed and dated painting by Raphael, created when he was about 21, showing his early mastery surpassing his teacher Perugino.

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Painting of a betrothal ceremony in a piazza before a domed, colonnaded temple inscribed RAPHAEL URBINAS. A young woman in red and blue extends her hand to an older bearded priest who places a ring on her finger, while a young man in a yellow cloak and other onlookers watch.
Raphael, The Marriage of the Virgin, 1504. Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan.

About this source

What it is

This panel painting, signed and dated 1504, was made by Raphael for a family altar in a Franciscan church. It depicts the marriage ceremony of Mary and Joseph before a round temple. It is now held in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.

Why it matters

Painted while Raphael was still closely tied to his teacher Pietro Perugino, this work shows the young artist reworking his master's composition on the same subject and surpassing it in refinement, especially in the careful perspective of the temple. It marks a key moment in Raphael's early development as an independent master.

Look closer

  • How does the architecture in the background draw your eye toward the figures?
  • What does the careful perspective tell you about Raphael's training and ambitions at this stage of his career?
  • Why might a patron want a religious scene like this for a family chapel?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Raphael on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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