Made by Mantegna immediately after the works for the Camera degli Sposi in Mantua (1465-1474), the painting is characterized by the plastic, almost sculptural strength of the figures and the refinement of the execution, which in the Virgin's mantle combines the precious lapis lazuli blue with gold hatching. The dull and dusty shades are the result of the adoption of the tempera technique, which Mantegna prefers and which he uses by spreading thin layers of color on a very fine linen cloth.