The episode depicted here tells of how Jael, wife of the chieftain Eber, killed the Canaanite general Sisara by driving a peg into his temple, after persuading him to rest in his tent.

The scene is presented by Bartolomeo Guidobono with eloquent theatricality. The artist was in fact famous at the time for his strong decorative taste and, with great versatility, he executed large cycles of frescoes, as well as paintings on ceramics.

The canvas displayed next to this, depicting Samson and Delilah , is characterized by the same dimensions and has been its pendant since its origins.