A nude female figure, draped in a pink cloth, sits at the center left and leans affectionately toward a muscular, bearded male figure whose back is turned to the viewer. The man, with flowing grey-green hair and a blue cloth wrapped around his waist, pours water from a large urn that rests on his knee, the stream cascading down to the lower edge of the scene. Above the central pair, a winged putto leans forward, gazing down at the figures below, while another putto hovers in the background, partially obscured by shadows.

To the left, a female attendant balances a heavy basket of fruit and flowers on her head, her arm bent and her gaze directed toward the central couple. The background is filled with tall, golden reeds and a warm, hazy light that suffuses the scene, blending the figures softly into their surroundings. Rubens uses broad, energetic brushstrokes, especially in the water and drapery, creating a sense of movement and fluidity that unites the composition.

The palette is dominated by creamy flesh tones, muted blues, and earthy golds, with accents of pink and green that enliven the figures and their attributes. Every figure is closely grouped, their limbs and gestures interlocking to form a compact, harmonious arrangement at the painting’s center. Small details, such as the glistening highlights on the urn and the delicate flowers in the attendant’s basket, reveal Rubens’s attention to texture and natural forms. The title The Union of Earth and Water identifies the scene as an allegory, a genre that uses personification to express abstract ideas.

The Fitzwilliam Museum lists this painting as part of its collection, with the genre specified as allegory.