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Provenance: Circolo Scandinavo / Skandinavisk Forening i Rom (Inv. No. AII 5, AII 6 og AII 7).

Tyra Kleen's interest in drawing and painting began in her childhood, as she practiced under the guidance of her mother and grandmother in her family home. The Swedish painter never received formal training or attended schools in her home country, as she at the age of 15 was sent to Dresden, where she began at the Malerinnenschule Karlsruhe. She subsequently continued her education in Munich and Paris, the last-mentioned of which she lived in for three years, studying at the Académie Colarossi, Académie Julian, Académie Delécluse, and Académie Vitti.

After completing her studies in Paris, she briefly returned to Stockholm before heading to Rome in 1898. She ended up living in Rome for nearly ten years, and from her diaries, it is evident that she led a very active social life, regularly meeting with friends and fellow artists, attending concerts, and going to the theater. Professionally, she was very productive, regularly exhibiting her work in Rome as well as in other European cities, which was quite an achievement for a female artist at that time.

In the present portrait, we see the two Danish authors Niels Hoffmeyer (1874–1946) and Emil Rasmussen (1873–1956), along with the Swedish painter Harald Biljer-Hedgren (1875–1923). They were likely part of Kleen's extensive social circle from her many years in Rome.