The Virgin sits on the ground, holding her nude son on her knees. He caresses her face while playing with his own swaddling clothes. The customary monumental scale of Hemessen´s figures is softened here, but this work maintains his characteristic soft and detailed brushstrokes, chiaroscuro transitions and abundant browns and reds. This painting by Jan Sanders van Hemessen displays a combination of Flemish traditions and the growing influence of the Italian Renaissance. The soft shading and blurred outlines of the figures demonstrate the artist’s knowledge of Italian chiaroscuro and sfumato. However, the expressive gestures and background reflect traditional Flemish style and the increased popularity of landscape painting in the sixteenth century.