The diagonally composed scene depicts a kneeling or more appropriately a staggering into a kneeling position St. Lawrence, who in a gesture of adoration, religious emphasis and spiritual devotion, turns towards the Madonna floating on clouds, holding in her arms the Baby Jesus. This depiction is set in warm colors of brown and red, filling the painting with a glowing, smoked-covered halo, which of course is a reference to fire, in which the saint died, but it also symbolizes a sunset – the time when St. Lawrence parted with this world. The composition emanates warmth and warm air, which is balanced out by the dark blue cape draped over the Madonna’s lap.

The author put a lot of effort, to properly depcit a rich, damask dalmatic of the saint martyr – a Roman deacon from the III century, whose life, according to tradition, ended in a cruel way – being burned on the gridiron. However, here, not too many elements remind us of his martyr’s death. Of course one of these is the ever-present, found below the Madonna, huge gridiron, as if it was a foundation of her throne, as well as a palm branch, a reference to the palm of martyrdom. The saint is depicted in a rather typical for that time pose – his head, in an unnatural way, stretches towards the Madonna, his body on the other hand is directed at the onlooker.

The scene is accompanied by three winged, smiling putti, floating on, or perhaps supporting, the clouds similar to cotton, on which the Virgin Mary rests. Their smiling faces, are anticipating the joy and hope of eternal happiness, which will soon be attained by Lawrence, and which is a result of a martyr’s death. On the other hand, the Madonna herself, with an expressionless face, looks upon the saint with impassive seriousness.

Giovanni Lanfranco, Apparition of the Virgin to St. Lawrence, 1617, 226 x 143 cm, Palazzo del Quirinale, initially Chapel dell’Annunziata