The painting illustrates an episode from the Gospel story (Luke 10, 38–42) that had particular significance for the artist since his own wife was called Marthe. Martha and Mary were sisters. When Jesus visited their home Mary sat at his feet and listened to his teaching, while Martha busied herself preparing a large meal. In the painting Martha and Mary share the same features and are juxtaposed, as it were, like the principles of dark and light, like two aspects of a single being. Many of the details in the painting can be interpreted from a Symbolist point of view. They understood a house as the repository of wisdom. A house or enclosed garden also embodied the feminine principle. Martha carries a dish of fruit. The grapes symbolize Christ, the apple Original Sin. The well is the source of pure faith. The golden vessel on the table is a symbol of the Christian faith and redemption.