Virgin and Child in a Chamber

Clarity of space and soft tonalities characterize this painting of the Virgin and Child in a Chamber. Laid out with a precise perspective, the room telescopes in well-marked boxes: the furthest, with St Joseph entering through an open court, is flooded with light; in the lofty foreground bedchamber, where Mary and the Child appear resting before an open window, the light is modulated in soft tones of brown and gray, giving it a simple cubistic appearance uncluttered by objects and details in bright local colour.