This painting is part of the original retable of the high altar of the Convento de Santa Ana and was executed by two Lisbon artists, Simão Rodrigues and Domingos Vieira Serrão. The work is characterized by its distinctly Mannerist style, primarily in the elongation of the figures and the pronounced volume of the drapes. The vibrant colours accentuate the figure in the shadows, behind the bed where Saint Anne lies, announcing the transition to the Proto-Baroque that follows this period. The lines of composition and the way the light falls on the newborn Virgin, convey the message of the painting: the birth of the Immaculate. The lightly prepared or untreated serge, employed as the support, gives a textured effect to the planes, and more especially to the drapery, creating an illusion of volume not easy to achieve on other types of support.
The earrings worn by one of the figures, the garments and the colours all give this painting delicacy and a quality that is emphasized by the dimensions of the piece.