Louise Breslau’s portrait of Robert Thegerström has a strong sense of presence and informal spontaneity. She has painted her Swedish friend from the front, as he relaxes at a table, a pipe in one hand. The other hand rests on the chair back and is adorned with a gold ring, bringing a discrete glimmer of light to the painting. The restrained setting and the squared pattern of the table give the portrait an unusually graphic expression.