Madonna with child and Saint John the Baptist

Small-format devotional paintings are rarely found in Perugino's work - unlike his one-time pupil Raphael, who came to exert a lasting influence on his teacher. We can surmise that such was the case with regard to this panel painting, because neither the asymmetrical composition nor the narrative moment can be found elsewhere in Perugino's work. Here, it is reflected in the intimate way in which St John behaves towards the Christ Child. Perugino always places his Madonnas in the central axis and also represents the figures in a more static way.