Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, Swedish ambassador to the Italian courts, is shown with Florence’s le Cascine in the background. On his knee is Voltaire’s La mort de César. He contemplates busts of the murdered Julius Caesar and Gustav III. Armfelt fell out of favour after the Swedish king’s death. The painting has a political message, and not unexpectedly it was used as evidence when Armfelt in his absence was sentenced to death for high treason.