The round format of this painting, called a tondo, was popular in Florence, where Raphael lived and learned from fellow masters like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo from 1504 to 1508. However, this painting represents a turning point. The idealized figures, saturated yet delicate hues, and classical landscape show a shift in style from his intimate Madonnas painted in Florence to a more majestic style developed in Rome after 1508.