\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 This painting dates from Lorenzo LottoÆs later years. The elegant and harmonious composition brings together the open space
, painted in a serene blue that conjures up springtime, and the clothing of the figures, in particular the iridescent dress of the Virgin and the refined garment worn by St. Catherine, whose portrait may have been painted from a model.\par
The little go
ld chain with a cross that gleams on the green dress is an extremely subtle detail. The figures appear to be linked not only by their corresponding gestures but also by the intensity of their facial expressions, which convey a serene awareness of the en
counter between the human and the divine.\par
The impetus of the agile angel, his pink robes stirred by the wind, and of the Virgin, serenely holding up the lively Child, contrast with the composed air of St. Joseph, absorbed in prayer. The painting se
ems to be centered on St. Joseph, not just through the gestures of the figures, but also through the colors: from the light and brilliant tones used to evoke his sanctity to the darker and more opaque ones that serve to convey his human nature. The land
scape, which is usually dark or even absent in LottoÆs paintings, is dominated by the large tree in the middle. Lit from behind, the tree fits in well with the calm atmosphere of the composition, underlined by the clarity of the background.
