The scene unfolds in a field between Ptuj and Ormož, most likely in Dornava. Mihelič was already depicting the kurents and their ambiguous, melancholy natures in his work during his time teaching at a secondary school in Ptuj (1936–41). The multifarious characters, the earthy tones, and the painting’s familiarity with local customs echo the Flemish-Dutch examples, especially Pietro Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525–1569). Significant details include the pruned willow on the left, which has already sprouted thin, new branches (which were used to bind grapevines in the vineyards), and the dog, a common accompanying figure at rituals and events, for instance the procession of the Wise Men. Among the carnival costumes, the kurents are easily recognizable in the background of the procession receding into the depths of the painting, thus they are in the viewer’s foreground, and in front of them is a melika, a costume worn by two people and evoking farm animals, ridden by a figure stuffed with hay. To the left of center are 3 girls dressed in white, representing fairies. The wayside shrine and the firehouse’s tower can be seen in the background.

The painting was first exhibited in December 1941 at the Jakopič Pavilion, when Mihelič was collaborating with the resistance movement. As a part of the State’s art collection, it came under ownership of the National Gallery in 1986.