Mercury, the son of Jupiter and Maya, bears his characteristic attributes as the gods' messenger : a winged hat and shoes, as well as the caduceus, a hazel wand with two serpents wound around it, which Apollo gave him as a symbol of agreement and reconciliation.

The god's anatomy and the use of paint give this figure a sculptural appearance, showing Rubens capacity to depict on canvas some of the models of classical statuary he studied in Italy.

This work was painted for the Torre de la Parada, a small royal palace near Madrid, along with other mythological paintings also at the Prado Museum.