Domenico Piola was one of the most important Baroque painters in Genoa, who combined the ideas of Giulio Cesare Procaccini, Correggio, Parmigianino and Peter Paul Rubens in his painting.
Mary holds the naked baby Jesus in his white nappies with both hands in front of her body and tenderly bows her head towards her son. Little Jesus cuddles up to his mother, his right hand grasping his mother's veil, which lies on his chest and is also loosely draped over Mary's head. With a mixture of childlike shyness and curiosity, Jesus looks kindly at the viewer. Mary's gaze is serious and loving. St Joseph, leaning on a stick, approaches from behind and lifts a dark blue curtain behind Mary. He thus lends the devotional painting a genre-like quality. His figure recedes into the darkness of the background in terms of colour, while the infant Jesus and the incarnation of the young Mary stand out. The colours, the red of the cloak and the blue of the dress, are muted to create a warm overall tone, to which Mary's delicate brown veil also contributes. The baroque, splendid, gilded frame with sunflowers gives the picture a worthy setting.
Oil on canvas, 80 × 60.5 cm
