Rubens began his artistic career as an apprentice to Tobias Verhaecht. After developing his skills as an artist he began to create his own works. Rubens was greatly influenced by Italian Renaissance painters like Michelangelo and Raphael, and he was also influenced by Venetian painters like Titian. These artists techniques and style inspired Rubens as a 17th-century painter and made him one of the greatest Baroque artists. In The Union of Earth and Water Rubens' style can be seen and the influences he had can also be seen in the painting. The way he paints his human figures mirror that of the artwork of the painters of the Italian Renaissance. The sensuality of the nude forms and the warm brown coloring of the figures reflect Ruben's respect for these painters and Classical style. This painting also reminds me of the paintings of Botticelli, such as Primavera and The Birth of Venus, in not only the forms and the way the woman stands as the primary focus of the painting, but also in the mythical background in the painting. 

In this painting, Earth and Water join each other. The female who represents Earth holds in her right hand a horn of plenty and a tiger is seen touching the fruit. These items embody Earth as they symbolize life and living creatures which Earth provides. The woman in the painting is Cybele, the Anatolian Earth goddess. Cybele is known to be associated with animals, especially lions, which makes since as a lion is painted beside her. She has also been called Mother of the Gods. Water is represented by Neptune, the Roman god of the sea and the water. He holds his trident in his hand and water is nearby and touches the Earth on the ground to show the union as well. The woman who unites the two, is Victory -  also Nike in Greek mythology. She has been known to be the Winged Goddess of Victory. Her wings can be seen as she is supposed to have flown down from Olympus in order to unite them. During battles, Nike would fly around and award soldiers with fame and glory. In this painting her presence is significant because it makes the ceremony glorified. The man blowing the conch is Triton. Triton is the Greek god who is the messenger of the sea. He used his conch in order to calm or raise the waves of the sea. His presence also makes this union important because if Triton is blowing his conch, it's a big deal. The two children painted at the bottom have no special meaning in the painting.

Ruben's message behind the painting was that when Earth and Water united they would bring wealth, plenty, and prosperity to mankind. Ruben also gave his painting a message that dealt with problems during his time. The union of Antwerp and the River Scheldt is represented by this painting. Earlier, the Dutch had blocked off the mouth, which prevented Flanders from having an outlet to the sea. Their union can be seen in this painting as water that has been connected to Earth.