This work is a study for an altarpiece painted in 1733 by Solimena in the Church of la Scuola di San Rocco in Venice. The only major difference is the curved form in the top part of the large altar painting.  The dynamic composition corresponds to the baroque style, while the play on shadows and light reflects the lingering influence of Caravaggism.  The museum owns three other sketches by Solimena, two of which, le Triomphe de la Croix and la Chute des damnés (Triumph of the Cross and the Fall of the Damned) are details from the sacristy ceiling in the Church San Domenico Maggiore in Naples.