His teacher was a master of the early Renaissance

Raphael was already regarded as a highly trained artist by the time he was 17, but he wasn't yet prepared to begin his practice. Instead, he took the traditional route for painters at the time and worked as an assistant in a well-known workshop.

In Raphael's case, this entailed relocating to the city of Perugia and working with Pietro Perugino, one of the most important artists of the early Renaissance. An early adopter of oil painting, Perugino was successful in painting the Sistine Chapel's walls for Pope Sixtus IV. He gained a wealth of professional expertise from Perugino. Raphael's early works show traces of Perugino's influence. These paintings nevertheless stand apart from his master's creations thanks to several distinctive qualities. The Marriage of the Virgin, the work in which Raphael outperforms his master, demonstrates his evolving style.

Early works by Raphael superficially resemble Perugino, but he quickly outperformed his mentor. Initially, Pope Julius II requested that Perugino paint the Stanza of the Incendio del Borgo in the Vatican. Raphael, whose aesthetic the pope favored, quickly replaced him. This decision would have a significant impact on Raphael's professional life because that room is a part of what is now referred to as the Raphael Rooms, which also contains the famous School of Athens.