The compositional idea upon which the present group is based is that of Giambologna's marble group of the Rape of the Sabine in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The same concern for a virtuoso display of upward movement is evident, together with an intense consciousness of the variety of viewpoints from which a sculpture in the round may be contemplated. Although the sculptor of this piece was clearly profoundly influenced by Italian models, like Giambologna he would appear to have come from north of the Alps, but seems to belong to a later generation than him. The major differences between this piece and the Rape concern the extreme tightness of the figure grouping, which makes one acutely aware of the block from which the work was carved, the earthier, less idealised physical types of the figures, and the more broadly characterised facial expressions of the revellers.