The present article examines Virgin with the Christ Child, a painting by Antonello da Messina from the National Gallery, London. Its attribution had long been questioned due to the painting's stylistical ambivalence, since it evidently contains elements characteristic to both early and late phase of Antonello's artistic activity, as it was proved by comparison with other of his Madonnas. This inconsistency between the painting's lower and upper parts is explained in the article, thus sketching a possible scenario of its execution, and hopefully removing the question mark often put by the name of its author. It is namely suggested that the painting in question could have been begun by the young artist and only later refashioned, either for himself or at a request of one of his commissioners. Hence comes this stylistical dichotomy in the London Madonna.