The director of the Nationalmuseum, Gustaf Upmark, is portrayed at his desk. Until his death in 1900, Upmark was an avid admirer of Carl Larsson’s controversial murals in the Museum staircase, and they became good friends over the years. The Japanese screen in the background and the relief of Gustav Vasa signify two prevailing – yet rather disparate – aesthetic ideals in the 1890s. Upmark, however, was especially interested in Gustav Vasa and Renaissance portraiture – a fascination he shared with Larsson.