Cades divides his scene of the Virgin Mary’s birth into two symbolic halves. In the background at right, deep in shadow, Mary’s mother Saint Anne recuperates in bed. In the foreground at left, bathed in light, Saint Joachim gestures toward the infant Mary.
Influenced by both ancient Roman sculptural reliefs and Italian Renaissance painting (particularly that of Raphael), the artist rendered the birth of the Virgin as if it were carved from time-stained marble. The drawing is characterized by strong contour lines, monochromatic coloring, and a frieze-like arrangement.