[7] The scene is thought to be making loose allusions to Neptune and Triton aiding Trojan ships as described, by Virgil,[8] or Ovid[9] or both, together with additional material.

[4][6] The posture of Neptune's stance, the filling-in of the reverse-V-shaped negative space by another figure (of Triton),[16] were "radical" departures from for Bernini,[18] as it was his "first work in which the silhouette (i.e. block-shape) is broken",[19] and his achievement of "full Baroque freedom", in the words of Rudolf Wittkower.

[20] However, Wittkower also qualified that Bernini was yet to attain the dynamism ("the great sweeping movement which animates both David and Pluto [and Daphne] ") in his subsequent works.

[16] Neptune is represented as a "mature bearded", muscular figure of male authority,[21] twisting his torso[14] as he is about to thrust his trident in downward motion towards water.

[22] Wittkower who subscribed to the view this was a reenactment of Virgil, was satisfied that this gesture was Neptune, with an "angry look towards the water", calming the waves with his trident.

[4] Collier also remarked that if Virgil was the source, Neptune might not have been waving the trident at the sea, but rather using the instrument to dislodge the ships from the rocks, as stated in the poem.

It has been suggested this pays homage to the classical writing by Ovid, at a different passage that mentions the Neptune and dolphins (but not Triton), as well as to the general Ovidian theme of transformations in the Metamorphosis and other works.

His timid nature and Neptune's dominate presence display the reality of human emotion and brings back the point of Bernini's plan to convey myths coming to life.

[28][page needed] The point of the sculpture is to bring the viewer to face a myth or story to be true and real by its dramatic tension in the body positions and subtle hints at natural life.