Juno entdeckt Jupiter mit Io

Juno discovering Jupiter and lo

In Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book 1, 583), lo was seduced by Jupiter who then transformed her into a heifer in an attempt to deceive his wife Juno. Juno, however, discovered the betrayal. She descended to earth and asked Jupiter to give her the heifer. Cupid and the man with the mask are included to highlight the painting's themes of love and deceit.