Both fragments were part of a church altarpiece, which became separated for unknown reasons and which also comprised the painting The Magdalen Reading (The National Gallery, London). Restoration of the original work was made possible by means of comparison with a drawing entitled Virgin and Child with Saints (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm). It seems plausible that the original altarpiece featured six figures around the Virgin and Child, alternating between standing and sitting, or kneeling.

It has been suggested that the female figure represents Saint Catherine of Alexandria, as the richness of her clothing is consistent with her traditional image. The bust of Saint Joseph displays an expressiveness uncommon in depictions from the period. In the middle ground, the Gothic architecture contributes towards the construction of the perspective.

The detailed landscape in the background, full of light and rendered in the manner of the primitive masters of the time, develops the space in depth and creates the sensation of a real atmosphere.