The painting, dated to 1620, is a work of the artist's early maturity, whose formation was influenced above all by the chromatic lesson of Titian, which constitutes the real premise to his painting of touch, with large liquid and luminous spots of color, and from the encounter with the art of the Carraccis, especially Ludovico. The relationship with the Bolognese painters, in particular, was essential for Guercino because it allowed him to broaden his horizons and to get in touch with the most up-to-date pictorial culture of the time, without however forgetting that genuine naturalistic vein that is the basis of his inspiration. . The painting is a precious example of the artist's style, characterized by a warm chromatic range and a strong stained chiaroscuro; very tender is the figure of the little angel, seen next to the majesty of the Eternal Father. The small canvas was commissioned from Guercino by Cristoforo Locatelli and was to be placed on the cymatium of the altarpiece depicting the dressing of Saint William of Aquitaine in the church of San Gregorio in Bologna. According to the Bolognese historian Carlo Cesare Malvasia, the client, struck by the extraordinary beauty of the painting, decided to keep it for himself, placing a copy in its place, which remained on site until 1962. The painting was part of a small group of works by great value of Palazzo Rosso that the Duchess of Galliera brought with her to the Parisian residence and therefore did not re-enter the donation of 1874, but became property of the Municipality of Genoa only after the death of the noblewoman by virtue of her bequest.
