Allegorical figures of Study and Intelligence sit on either side of the Zuccaro family's symbol of a sugar loaf sprouting lilies, a play on the Italian word zucchero, meaning sugar. The figure of Study is hard at work drawing a nude torso, surrounded by a rooster and various other sculptures. Intelligence, on the right, holds a caduceus in his right hand, while an elephant peers out beside him.
The drawing's irregular shape and viewpoint suggest to scholars that it was intended for a ceiling decoration.