The composition is derived from one of a set of 16 plaquettes of scenes from Ovid, designed by the Roman sculptor Guglielmo della Porta, and modelled in clay by the Fleming, Jacob Cornelisz. Cobbe. These inventions enjoyed considerable popularity, and were copied in various media, including silver, ivory, and bronze. Four female nudes from the same scene were copied by Rubens in a drawing at Chatsworth (Inv. no. 1013)