\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 The three figures that make up the painting are arranged along its main diagonal, in a progression that leads from the atten
tive pose of St. Joseph to the quiet immobility of the Madonna and ends in the Child sleeping with his head on her breast.\par
The intimacy of the relationship between mother and son is emphasized by their matching flesh tones, which are enhanced by the
contrast with the red and blue of the MadonnaÆs clothing.\par
The background is filled by a cluster of shady trees that forms a canopy over the figures, while on the right we see a patch of sky suffused with an amber light.\par
The work is indicative
of the influence that Venetian painting exercised on the artist, especially in the features of the Madonna and St. Joseph.\par
The picture, which was painted between 1627 and 1632, during van DyckÆs second stay in Antwerp, was probably intended for the
presbytery of the church of St. Michael. It was acquired by Prince Maximilian Emmanuel.
