The Holy Family is represented with unusual informality and liveliness.
John the Baptist holds a goldfinch, a traditional symbol of Christ's Passion, teasing the cat shown in the left foreground. His reed cross rests against the wall.
The Virgin appears prominently in the centre suckling the Child, while Saint Joseph stoops forward to observe the scene.
According to Bellori, the painting was made for Count Antonio Brancaleoni, who lived near Perugia. The design was engraved in 1577 and the canvas may have been commissioned not long before.
