The subject, taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, served as an admonition not to succumb to envy. Three sisters, returning from the festival of Minerva and carrying sacred baskets on their heads were espied by Mercury, who immediately fell in love with Herse, the most beautiful of them. Another of the sisters, Aglauros, was consumed with jealousy, and in the scene depicted here, implored Mercury not to enter her sister's chamber. He will touch her with his wand, and she will be turned to black stone, reflecting the nature of her thoughts.
Jan, and his father Salomon de Bray made finished drawn copies after their own and others' paintings, often dated to the day, and Salomon's other sons Dirck and Joseph de Bray continued the family studio practice, copying paintings by their father and elder brother. Joseph drew a copy after the present painting which is now in the Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam, which he signed and dated Josepho. 1658 2/6.1 The date, 2nd February 1658, reveals that the painting, also dated 1658, was finished by the very beginning of February of that year. The drawing is also inscribed with a precise description of the subject.

1. See Giltaij 2017, p. 312, cat. no. T90, reproduced in colour.
2. See P. Biesboer (ed.), Painting Family: The De Brays, exh. cat., Zwolle 2008, p. 19.