Ariadne, having aided Theseus in escaping the Labyrinth, is abandoned by him as he departs by ship. Standing on a grassy outcrop overlooking the sea, Ariadne wipes a tear from her eye with a cloth, her expression downcast. She hands a letter to a messenger intended for Theseus, who is seen sailing away in the background. In the distance, a castle rises on the far shore, reinforcing the spatial and emotional divide between them.