it can be identified with the "canvas ... painted with the madonna with the [christ] child in her arms, saint jerome and saint joseph, with a carved golden frame 72 v[incenzo]" mentioned on a list of paintings owned by vincenzo i gonzaga as of 23 january 1627. it is unknown whether or not it entered the gonzaga collection thanks to vincenzo i, but given his interest in correggio it seems the most plausible hypothesis - he definitely acquired the same artist's "madonna and child with saint francis" and the "rest on the flight into egypt", for example.