This painting is a model study attributed to the Netherlandish artist Cornelis van Haarlem. At the time the portrait collection was founded, every effort was made to include as many as possible of the most famous figures of Swedish history. Presumably the melan- choly expression of the Netherlandish model fitted well with the popular image of the 17th-century Swedish poet, and a slip of paper with the words “The unfortunate poet Lusidor” was attached to the frame.