In the foreground below the tower are two small shadowy figures resembling those in future works by Salvador Dalí.

This painting is the most famous example of the tower theme which appears in several of Chirico's works.

It has been speculated by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City that it was created from 1912 to 1913, while the Annenberg School for Communication suggests 1913–14.

According to art historian Robert Hughes, the painting draws inspiration from the Mole Antonelliana in Torino, Italy.

[1] This painting, amongst other works by Giorgio de Chirico, influenced the painting by Fumito Ueda used for the front cover of the Japanese and European versions of the video game Ico.