The scenes Denis painted on the theme of motherhood always remind us of the Madonna and Christ-Child in the art of the Early and High Renaissance, above all that of Fra Angelico. The birth and infancy of each Denis's children was accompanied by the appearance of paintings depicting his wife Marthe with the child in her arms. In comparison with the artist's compositions on allegorical subjects and his decorative panels, the painting exudes an atmosphere of warmth and particular intimacy. Denis's works of this sort are for the most part undated which makes it difficult to fix the exact time when the Hermitage canvas was painted. The date is presumed to be early 1895.