How does Small Cowper Madonna elucidate its Story?
It is not known exactly why the Small Cowper Madonna was painted. It was probably either a private commission  or for the general art market; images of the Madonna and Child were often given as wedding presents. It is widely thought that the church on the right hand side of the painting is the church of San Bernardino, where the Dukes of Urbino (where Raphael was born) were buried, and it has been suggested that the presence of the church means the painting may have been "commissioned by the family for devotional purposes." At the same time, it could just be Raphael drawing on memories of the church, which would have been near where he grew up in Urbino.
Raphael Child painting