In a prolonged scorzo, Christ lies in Mary's lap while she looks imploringly toward Heaven. Mary Magdalene kisses Christ's hand and Saint John weeps.

The treatment of the textiles and the use of color are highly influenced by Venetian art, as this work is directly based on certain compositions by Titian (Ca. 1485-1576).

This is a replica of another painting on the same subject made by Van Dyck for a church in Antwerp. It is not known how it came to Spain, but it is first documented in 1734, following the fire at Madrid's Alcázar Palace.