Niccolini-Cowper Madonna

The Niccolini-Cowper Madonna (1508) in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, marks the transition to Raphael's Roman period, the more monumental figure style departing from the elegant lightness of his Florentine Madonnas. Named after successive owners from the Niccolini and Cowper families, the painting shows the Madonna and Child in a dynamic interaction that anticipates the more complex compositions of the Roman years. Raphael dated this work 1508, the year of his move to Rome at Julius II's invitation, making it a hinge work between his two major periods. The greater sculptural solidity of the figures and the more assertive spatial presence reflect the beginning of Michelangelo's influence on his developing style.

The larger scale and more sculptural figure modeling distinguish this from Raphael's earlier Madonnas, with the warm flesh tones and blue mantle achieving a new richness of color.