Richmond used the same paint medium as Blake did for his temperas, and a similar range of pigments. He made greater use of dark, intense, mixed greens than Blake. He also built up transparent layers to a considerable thickness, probably through many applications. The green hill in the foreground is heightened with gold leaf.

This painting was submitted to the Royal Academy exhibition of 1826 but was rejected. This was probably because of the subject matter. Even if inspired by Michelangelo, depictions of the ‘Supreme Being’, as here, were frowned upon.