The Virgin is seated, holding the Christ Child on her left arm and a lily in her right hand. On each side stands an angel, seen in profile, holding a basket of roses. The cloth-of-honour, richly woven into a formalized gold flower-and-leaf pattern over dark-green and red, is draped over invisible supports as if over the arms of a throne; the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, is depicted above. The lily in the Virgin’s hand signifies her purity; the angels holding baskets of roses may be a symbol that the Virgin, for all the humility expressed in her position seated on the ground, is yet the Queen of Heaven.

This painting was originally attributed to Fra Angelico, but is now considered to be by Zanobi Strozzi who was a close associate of Fra Angelico. Strozzi is better documented as a miniaturist. He was taught by the miniaturist Battista di Baigio Sanguigni, who was also closely associated with Fra Angelico, and with whom Strozzi was in partnership until 1438.

This acquisition is a good example of Prince Albert’s interest in what at this time would have been regarded as 'primitive' painting it appears in his Writing Room at Osborne in James Roberts's watercolour of 1851 (RCIN 926224).