During his work, he felt discouraged several times, both by his teacher's warning and by the negative outcome of his previous painting titled Albert of Mecklenburg mocked by Queen Margaret, which received much criticism.

When the painting was acquired and viewed by the gallery before the exhibition opened to the public, he marked this moment in his diary:[1] —Gustaf Cederström Contrary to the author's expectations, however, the work was appreciated so much that the artist was awarded the second place medal, thanks to which he was made famous throughout Europe.

For these reasons, many of Cederström's compatriots were outraged by the news that the painting had been bought by a Russian, considering it a disgrace that the funerary tribute to the warrior king had ended up in the enemy country he had fought against.

On 30 November 1884, the anniversary of the death of Charles XII,[3] he signed the canvas and delivered it to the museum in Stockholm.As for the original, it is unclear how it survived the upheavals of the October Revolution, but in 1923 the art dealer Max Molvidson managed to buy it for 7500 roubles and bring it back to Sweden.

In fact, the king was not repatriated in broad daylight on an open stretcher but at night to the camp in Tistedalen and from there in a pine coffin to Uddevalla, where he was embalmed.

The second version, on the other hand, was started in France but continued in Italy and finished in Sweden with Swedish models, which is why many characters have lighter hair and eyes than their Parisian counterparts.