Christine Stampe often arranged salons in the mansion of Nysø near Præstø or in the family apartment in Kronprinsessegade in Copenhagen. These were often attended by some of the leading cultural figures of the day. Here, the painter Wilhelm Marstrand has caught Thorvaldsen, who has long ago fallen asleep during a reading by Oehlenschläger. The table lamp, hidden behind the reading poet, creates a halo, and the Apollonian quality is further emphasized by the lyre in the back of the chair. However, Marstrand cannot resist spoiling the entire illusion by placing a top hat beneath the chair, and it cannot be denied that this makes one think of a potty. Hans Christian Andersen is standing behind, taking a pinch of snuff.
