The mesmerizing expression and distant gaze of Jesus would have made this a particularly effective painting for private devotion. Yáñez spent time in Italy, where he worked with Leonardo da Vinci, returning to his native Spain in 1506. The delicate play of light across the face and the description of the curling hair and beard reflect that experience, while the emphasis on gold ornamentation is more typically Spanish. The frame is of the period and Spanish but not original to the picture; it creates the effect of a window onto a sacred realm.