Early on, both Bergh and Branting became interested in radical tendencies in politics. Branting is shown standing in his study in a green dressing gown. Despite this, the portrait has an official character. The bands of the laurel wreath form a red halo around his head and the pen in his hand is the same colour. The portrait echoes older paintings of scholars, but also anticipates the way European socialist leaders would be depicted later in the 20th century.