This painting represents Andromeda, the nearest Galaxy to the Milky Way, and with which it is destined to collide in 4-5 billion years. The galaxy's name comes from the area in the Earth's sky in which it appears, in the constellation of Andromeda. Around the year 964, the Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al Sufi referred to the galaxy as a 'small cloud' in his 'Book of Fixed Stars'.

The surface is a distemper ground made of hide glue and Malachite pigment. Shards of opal stars are suspended in a cloud of oil and beeswax.