According to Ovid's Metamorphosis, Vertumnus had to disguise himself as a woman in order to gain Pomona's love. Rubens chose to depict the moment when, having removed his disguise, Vertumnus declares his love to the attractive young woman. She holds a sickle in her right hand, which alludes to her condition as a deity related to the fruits of nature. That is also why the scene is set in a garden.

This sketch was for one of the paintings intended for the Torre de la Parada that was painted by Jacob Jordaens.