"Painted in Regusa on the Dalmatian coast in Italy the model for the Virgin Mary was a local village girl. The costume is representative of a traditional Dalmatian costume from the time... In the background Stokes surrounds the Holy mother and child with thorny stems seeming to refer to the future crucifixion of Christ. Stokes' interest in biblical themes is typical of the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement... their aim was to return to the purer styles of the early Renaissance artists like Fra Angelico and their subject matter was often spiritual."