National Gallery, London
This painting is an altarpiece for a church. It shows the Virgin Mary seated like a queen on a throne with the Child Jesus. He is worshipped by three female saints and by the man who has paid the artist to do the picture for the church. He is called the "donor". Everything in the picture has been painted in great detail, the clothes, the tiles, the jewelry, the buildings and the flowers. Many of the things in the picture are symbols. The little dog is the symbol of faithfulness. The lilies are the symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary. The painting does not show part of a story or a moment in time. The picture has been painted to help the viewer calm the mind for prayer.