Jacob Bean and Dieter Graf independently confirmed the attribution of this drawing to Passeri. Drawings by Passeri, close in handling to the present one, are at Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf (E. Schaar, Italienische Handzeichnungen des Barock, Düsseldorf, 1964, nos. 117 and 121, illustrated), at Windsor Castle (A. Blunt and H.L. Cooke, Roman Drawings in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle, London, 1960, no. 582, pl. 62), and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, J. Bean, 17th Century Italian Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, 1979, no. 300, illustrated.
Erichthonius, son of Vulcan, was born deformed with the tail of a serpent replacing his legs. He was placed in a basket and entrusted by Minerva to the daughters of Cecrops with instructions not to look into the basket. One of the sisters, Aglaurus, opened the basket. She was punished by the Goddess who made her jealous of one of her sisters. Erichthonius later became King of Athens.