Roslin painted this portrait in 1756 in Paris, when the architect Jean Eric Rehn stopped over on his way home from studies in Italy. Rehn eyes us pensively. Nothing signals that this is an artist. His patterned coat was originally the only marker of rank. Much later, in 1774, the artist had to supplement his attributes with the Order of Vasa. By then Rehn was fully engaged in transforming Swedish Rococo architecture into the Gustavian style.