Sébastien Bourdon visited Sweden in 1652-53, when he was commissioned as a portraitist by Queen Christina and the court. His portraits include one of Count Palatine Karl Gustav, the queen’s cousin and heir presumptive, who had successfully led the Swedish troops at the end of the Thirty Years’ War. He was therefore depicted as a military commander. The skill of the artist is clearly visible in the contrast between the hard, shiny metal and the draped blue silk.