previous practice of placing multiple religious symbols in a piece. Instead he combines religious iconography and beautiful landscapes to show both humanism and the teaching of the Catholic Church. The other religious symbol seen is the faint halos that disappeared as artists entered the High Renaissance. The book that the Madonna is holding is believed to contain the foretelling of Christ's death. The way Raphael composed the painting creates a sense of intimacy between Mary and Christ, with John the Baptist as witness. The positions of Mary and Christ, and to a lesser extent John the Baptist, serve as a prefiguration of the Passion and eventual death of Christ. The book Mary hold tells of these eventual events. Style Raphael studied the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Fra Bartolommeo while in Florence. He traded his use of stiff compositions that were popular during his Umbrian phase in favor of a newer style influenced by his study of these other artist. This painting in particular appears to be derived from Leonardo's models, such as The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. The painting echoes the spacious landscapes of Pietro Perugino. He also utilized the popular pyramid composition common with art in the High Renaissance as well as the sfumato technique. Another feature seen in La Belle Jardinière is the highly idealized beauty and grace of the Madonna. Despite taking inspiration from other artist, Raphael was able to move past just recreating others works and add his own styles to benefit his works. Other Pictures See also List of paintings by Raphael References Further reading External links Paintings in the Louvre by Italian artists Paintings of the Madonna and Child by Raphael 1507 paintings Nude art