Nicolas-Raymond La Fage may have begun his artistic training with a glazier in 1667, but his formative training occurred with Jean Pierre Rivalz (1625-1706) in Toulouse. At some point La Fage journeyed to Rome, where he studied the art of antiquity but also that of modern masters like Michelangelo (1475-1564), Giulio Romano (1499-1546), and the Carracci. He returned to Toulouse to work as a master and died en route to a second pilgrimage to Rome in 1684.

The present composition demonstrates what La Fage learned in Rome: the muscularity of the late Michelangelo, the energetic compositions of Romano and the classical balance of the Carracci. The composition clearly recalls that of Michelangelo`s Last Judgment (1535-1541, Sistine Chapel, Vatican) in its swirling energy, clearly divided tiers, and bold gestures. La Fage likely knew the fresco from his time in Italy. As such, this drawing demonstrates the continued impact that the masters of the High Renaissance had upon later generations of artists traveling to Rome.

In spite of the debt to Michelangelo, this drawing appears to document a lost composition original composition by La Fage, presumably executed in Toulouse. The arched top and subject indicate that the painting was likely an altarpiece.