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The painting depicts the wine merchant Christian Waagepetersen and his family in his office within the family's home in Copenhagen. With its clear demonstration of the pressures of work handled by the head of the family, the picture illustrates the fundamental values for the Danish middle classes circa 1830: family and work. The home is sparingly furnished with no unnecessary ornamentation, reflecting the thriftiness prevalent in Denmark during the hard years that followed the Napoleonic wars.
Waagepetersen was keenly interested in art and music. He frequently threw musical soirees in his home, where the leading Danish composers and musicians attended alongside painters and sculptors. Waagepetersen also commissioned several pictures addressing themes from his own life and work like this piece.
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