Description
The Alba Madonna stands out for showing Mary seated on the ground beside the stump of a tree. This follows the lesser-known tradition in Christian art known as the “Virgin of Humility,” in which images of the Virgin show her seated on the ground or on a low cushion, signifying her humility.
Raphael worked especially hard to arrange the three figures into a harmonious group, using their line of sight to create an intimate, rhythmic unity. He also learned from the artists around him. The upward gaze of John the Baptist, for example, was a common technique in the paintings of Urbino, where Raphael first trained with the artist Perugino.