Johan Rubring Harboe (1762–1840) ran Det Kgl. Assistenshus, which was the state pawnbroking company, where the capital's poor could borrow against a mortgage on their possessions. Harboe made sure to employ his nephews, through whom Assistenshuset remained for decades in the hands of the Harboe, Abel and Hansteen families. He therefore became popularly known as “Uncle Harboe” and “Uncle” gradually became common slang for a pawnbroker, while “aunt” then in turn became slang for the empty wallet. This in turn gave rise to the saying “speaking for one's sick aunt”.

The portrait of Harboe must have been painted after he had been awarded the Order of the Dannebrog in April 1834, and is a rare, albeit indirect image of the poverty of the time.

Provenance: Grand nephew of the person portrayed, cand.theol. Lorentz Christian Hansteen; gifted in 1875 to the office manager at the Assistenshuset, Johan Henrik Valdemar Abel (1839–1920), whose father had been a clerk at the Assistenshuset and great-nephew to Harboe.