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Born in Venice in 1651, Nicolò Bambini was active in the workshop of Carlo Maratta (1625-1713) in Rome after studying under Sebastiano Mazzoni (1611-1678). After his return, Bambini was particularly influenced by the painting of Pietro Liberi (1605-1687). He created numerous works in Venetian churches and palazzi. One of the highlights of his oeuvre is considered to be the painterly decoration of the Palazzo Sandi-Porto in the 1720s together with the young Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770).

Professor Ugo Ruggeri classifies the present painting as a characteristic work of the artist's mature period in Venice. It is particularly comparable to the "Madonna and Saint" (Chiesa di San Stae), the "Immaculate Conception" (Chiesa di San Pantalon) or the allegories "Virtue drives out Vice" and "Time hides the Truth" in the Palazzo Patriarcale. These works, to which the present work belongs stylistically, were created at the beginning of the 18th century, when Nicolò Bambini's formal world, based on the experiences of Pietro Liberi and Federico Cervelli, was characterised by the typical feeling of the 18th century. This was supported by the influence of the new language of Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734), who returned to Venice in 1696. Furthermore, the direct impressions of the Roman culture of figure depiction, which he had absorbed during his stay in Carlo Maratta's workshop, also had an effect.
The painting thus represents an excellent example of this stylistic development and at the same time documents the pinnacle of Nicolò Bambini's oeuvre in terms of composition and colour (cf. Prof. Ruggeri, Venice, December 2008)