This is among the most important northern European paintings in the United States. In it Rogier exquisitely combined the Gothic legacy of stylized patterning with a new sense of naturalism. He did not, however, merely replicate the world around him, but manipulated details to create an intricate program of symbols. For example, the enclosed garden in this painting refers to the Virgin's purity while the carved figures of Adam and Eve on the arms of the throne symbolize Christ's and Mary's roles in redeeming humankind from original sin. Rogier may have modeled Saint Luke's features on his own.