Virgin and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist,

The impulses Van Dyck gained in Italy remained with him throughout his life—the broken colouration with highlights added in streaks as well as the picture’s composition draw on Titian. The projecting wall with a column and the view of the landscape are recurrent motifs. The word ‘ECCE’ is a reference to the Bible: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Virgin’s contemplative look seems already to allude to the Passion. The ancient capital stands for overcoming the original sin.