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This Virgin and Child subtly incorporates traditional allusions to the miraculous. Mary's long, loose hair identifies her as a virgin, alluding to the virgin birth. The palatial column evokes her future reign as Queen of Heaven, while the nakedness of the Christ Child, explicitly a little boy, reminds believers that, miraculously, Christ was fully human and fully God.Van Dyck worked in the Antwerp studio of Peter Paul Rubens before spending six years in Italy. Once returned, he created a style synthesizing that of Flanders and Italy, producing dramatic, yet elegant religious works such as this Virgin and Child, one of several versions; Van Dyck's personal touch is most evident here in the Virgin's face and hand. He subsequently became court painter to King Charles I of England, who raised him to the nobility.Further analysis within the context of the "Chamber of Wonders" installation plus bibliography