Both the artist and the sitter came from families with roots in the Netherlands but which worked internationally. In Stockholm, they were part of a circle of immigrant merchants and artists. Wholesaler von Breda’s son, Lukas, later studied under painter Martin Mijtens. In this painting, Pieter von Breda is in an oval stone frame. The composition aims to provide the illusion of depth and the sitter being viewed through an opening in a building.