This is meant to show that Saint Nicholas was more interested in his spiritual nourishment than his physical sustenance. The image has come to symbolize the saint's deep devotion to his faith from a very young age.

  
It is also significant for its representation of the relationship between a mother and her child. The painting shows Saint Nicholas turning away from his mother's breast, which can be seen as a rejection of the physical world and a turning towards the spiritual realm. The image has been interpreted as a symbol of the struggle between the material and the spiritual, and the importance of spiritual nourishment.

The scene has also been depicted in various media other than painting, such as in sculptures and carvings. For example, there is a famous 14th-century wooden sculpture of Saint Nicholas in the town of Křtiny, Czech Republic, which depicts the saint as a young boy turning away from his mother's breast towards the image of the Virgin Mary.