There is a privately owned, uncut version of the painting in the Herrliberg 'Zur Schipf' estate in Zurich. Both paintings originate from around 1540 and are probably copies of an original from between 1473 and 1480. An indication of the date of origin is the coat-of-arms, visible only on the Zurich painting, on a stone jug on the left foreground, portraying the union between the counts of Wurttemberg and Mompelgard, which was in force at the time.

The action of the painting is connected with Greek antiquity and with the Old Testament story of King David and Bathsheba, whom he watched while she was bathing. She is shown sitting by the fountain with her naked feet in the water, with King David standing on the gallery of a palace-like building on the left and playing the harp while he gazes down upon her.

The style of portrayal is contemporary, i.e. from the first half of the 16th century. This applies not only to the buildings and costumes, but also to the musical instruments. Many of the portrayals of instruments bear similarities to the illustrations in the book by Sebastian Virdung (Basel 1511).