English: This representation of the Virgin and Child is called a sacra conversazione, an Italian term meaning "holy conversation." The term refers to scenes involving sacred personages that earthly beings would not be able to witness. This picture was probably intended for private devotions and includes the profile portraits of the husband and wife who commissioned it. The painting seems to have been left unfinished. If completed, the saint to the right--Saint Lucy or Saint Mary Magdalen--could be identified by the objects she holds. Here, however, her hands are empty.