June with the sign of Cancer

As the inscription at the bottom states, the subject of this painting is the month of June. The sign of the zodiac Cancer is depicted on a relief with a black background. Mercury, the protective god of June, is recognizable by the Pegasus, caduceus, and purse. The rooster stands for his alertness, the ram refers to his role as protector of shepherds and flocks, and the racket with shuttle to his patronage of the sport. The rooster is taken from the tapestry series Le Douze Mois Grotesques designed by Claude III Audran (1658-1734) around 1709, which was engraved by Jean Audran (1667-1756). On the print with the months of May and June, besides a rooster, a ram, merchandise, and rackets can be seen for May, which Maderna has painted with his own interpretation. A second source of inspiration was Le antichità di Ercolano esposte (Naples 1757-1792). The woman with the tambourine is copied in detail from this (vol. 1 (1757), p. 109).