Persephone is abducted by Hades, God of the Underworld. Her mother, Demeter, goddess of the grain, finds out where Hades is hiding her daughter. To bring her back, Demeter begs her brother Zeus to negotiate with Hades. After several negotiations they reach a compromise: Persephone will spend one half of the year in the Underworld and one half on the earth. Annually, Demeter celebrates the return of her daughter by letting the earth regain her fertility. The Underworld is visualized as a fallen swimming pool, in which the artist shows the natural inclinations of mankind. The sunbeams and flower girls are symbols of the approaching spring.