Allegory of a young artist: A young man led across rocky terrain towards an altar flanked with pictures dedicated to Painting, while winged demons attempt to pull him back

The inscriptions on the recto, which can be translated as 'He who does not work hard relinquishes glory' and 'Overcome Art to defeat Nature', suggest that the drawing was made as an encouragement to a young artist. The inscription on the verso suggests that Rosa himself was the teacher who would guide his young pupil away from temptation, and indeed the figure in the centre of the drawing, with his long face and wispy beard, ressembles several of the artist's self-portraits.