This stone statue was probably made as exterior decoration for a building. Representing a figure of a Roman god that also serves as an allegory of one of the Four Seasons (1938-24-2; 1938-24-3; 1938-24-4), and influenced by compositions by the French sculptor Augustin Pajou (1730–1809), the figure was attributed to Pajou for many years.

The early history of the sculpture and its companions is uncertain. After it was rediscovered in France in 1922, it was acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Stotesbury, who placed this figure and its companions in a loggia (a covered outdoor corridor) at their house, Whitemarsh Hall in Wyndmoor, just outside Philadelphia. One of the most magnificent residences ever built in the United States, the hall was designed in 1916 by Horace Trumbauer (American, 1868–1938) and unfortunately razed in 1980.