Tityus, the son of Jupiter and Elara, is shown chained to a rock in Tartaria. An eagle eternally devours his entrails, which are reborn with each phase of the moon. This giant was punished after he was incited by Juno to attempt to seduce one of his father's lovers.

The subject of the condemned —Tityus, Ixion, Tantalus and Sisyphus— attained certain popularity in European art from the modern era and was often used in palace decorations. These works personified the reigning dynasty's implacable powers against the infidelity, pride and arrogance of those who attacked the supremacy of the monarchy. Ribera probably knew the Furies in the Alc