The painting of this tithes meeting in southern Sweden was admired by Nordenberg’s contemporaries as a picture from a distant prosperous past. Tithes were taxes paid to the church, amounting to one-tenth of the harvest. He belonged to the Düsseldorf school of painting, which was characterised by dramatic images of nature and romanticised history painting. But Nordenberg also made many study tours in Sweden, collecting material to ensure a correct depiction of the peasantry.