In order to obtain a better understanding of Raphael's "The Marriage of the Virgin" and the time period in which it was created, it would be helpful to look at useful comparisons of both the work of this artist and influential work that may have inspired him. Raphael a very well-known Renaissance painter was an artist who was able to combine the qualities of both Leonardo and Michelangelo to create art that had drama, richness, and an almost sculptural quality. In comparison to a piece created in 1507 named La Belle Jardiniere, The Marriage of the Virgin an earlier work has some remarkable similarities both literally and figuratively. The figures in both of his interpretations are executed in a similar manner. All of the characters are in their own unique poses.
             All of the figures seem to be painted in the same technique, solid having a distinct mass, and painted in such a way that resembles a sculpture. In addition to this, Raphael has used a technique both known as sfumato or smoke, which creates an almost atmospheric haze to the entire composition. The more significant similarity in my opinion is his use of a triangular or pyramid-like focus in the three main characters in La Belle Jardiniere, and between the church, Mary and Joseph in The Marriage of the Virgin. With this particular idea in mind I would like to discuss another work by Pietro Perugino, The Delivery of the Keys. This particular work done in 1482 is so strikingly similar to The Marriage of the Virgin that in opinion there is no doubt that it was a key influence for Raphael in the development of this piece. This triangular focal device was adopted and used in nearly the exact same way as Perugino used it. In both works there are two forces one on the left, and one on the right, which are coming together to form a union with the church in the far background as the visual intersecting element between the two. Both have the same symmetrical design where the church symb...