What subjects are depicted in Michelangelo’s Battle of the Centaurs and Madonna of the Stairs?

Michelangelo’s Battle of the Centaurs and Madonna of the Stairs are two of his earliest surviving marble works, both created around 1490–1492.1

• Battle of the Centaurs: This work is a relief that depicts a mythological struggle, serving as a variation on the composition of an ancient Roman sarcophagus. The dynamic action and power of the figures in this piece foreshadow the artist's later focus on monumental, forceful bodies.1
• Madonna of the Stairs: This is a delicate low relief that depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child. It reflects the influence of contemporary Florentine sculptors such as Desiderio da Settignano and incorporates a style reminiscent of Donatello.12