Solly Madonna

The Solly Madonna (c. 1500–02) in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, is one of Raphael's earliest works, painted when he was still working closely under Perugino's influence in Umbria. Named after the English collector Edward Solly who owned it, the small panel shows the Madonna and Child with the infant John in a format and style closely derived from Perugino's Madonna compositions — the gentle facial types, the Umbrian landscape, and the balanced symmetry are all characteristic of the master's influence. What distinguishes the young Raphael's version is an imperceptible added sweetness and refinement that points toward his future development, the beginning of what would become the most celebrated style of the High Renaissance.

The soft, delicate handling of the Madonna's features and the detailed landscape background reflect Perugino's influence, though the figures already show a more natural ease of interaction characteristic of Raphael.