It depicts Holbein's wife Elsbeth Binzenstock, their son Philipp and their daughter Katharina.

[9] The family is shown in modest clothing, which is in stark contrast to the riches Holbein brought back to Basel from England.

[11] It is assumed that the painting was larger and that the third piece of paper on the right included another figure, either a depiction of Holbein himself[12] or a woman resembling the Lais of Corinth.

[17] Asper received several offers for the painting, including from Basilius Amerbach, but refused to sell it.

Only after Asper's death did the portrait came into possession of Amerbach, who paid six crowns through the intermediation[7] of the pharmacist Georg Clauser from Zürich.