In the same year that Roslin moved to Paris, he was elected to be a member of the French Académie, a great honour for an artist from outside France.

Carrying out these commissions meant that he travelled widely – for example, Roslin spent two years in the service of Catherine II in St Petersburg.

The 18th century was a period of regeneration and reconstruction in Sweden as the country had been devastated and weakened by the huge costs of King Charles XII's wars.

In another painting by Roslin he is depicted as an allegoric interpretation of his role as Sweden's "Hercules who will crush the Hydra of anarchy and discord."

Roslin had received the commission for the triple portrait a few months earlier, and had already depicted Karl (Charles XIII of Sweden) before he left the country prior to his brothers' arrival.

[3] They are somewhat disconnectedly pointing to the plan on the table, but the weakness of this is counterbalanced with Roslin's eminent ability to render fabrics and his presentation of the subjects of his painting wearing colourful clothes.

However this was a portrait of princes, and thus demanded a decorum that dignified the models: "Gustav III and his brothers could hardly be portrayed as sweaty campaigners despite the gravity of their doings.