The art collection built by Baron Mayer de Rothschild in the mid-19th century is a testament to his discerning taste and appreciation for art and antiquities. A significant portion of this collection was acquired during landmark sales, notably the Shugborough Estate sale in 1842 and the Stowe House sale in 1848. These auctions provided a wealth of high-quality Greek and Roman marble sculptures.

The Shugborough Estate sale catalog included several busts described as depicting "very fine Roman youths," though, unfortunately, the lack of detailed descriptions in the catalog leaves much about these pieces to conjecture. By contrast, the Stowe auction catalog notably lacks any mention of busts of youths.

Mentmore Towers, located in Buckinghamshire, England, is an iconic 19th-century country house celebrated for its architectural splendor and historical significance. Designed in the 1850s by the renowned architect Joseph Paxton, it was commissioned by Baron Mayer de Rothschild himself. The mansion exemplifies the Neo-Renaissance style, drawing heavily on the design of Italianate villas such as the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.

Within its walls, the art collection assembled by Rothschild was exclusively curated during his lifetime and later inherited by the Rosebery family.

The present marble portrait represents a youth, with idealised traits and wearing a laurel wreath. Including the present, there are three portraits this young boy, each depicting him adorned with a wreath. These portraits suggest the subject is elevated status, possibly a prince, given the rarity of having three similar representations at such a young age. One of these portraits resides in the Museo Archeologico di Napoli (Infante, età giulio-claudia, 37-41 dc ca., inv. No. 6337), while another is now in the collection of Galerie Cahn, Basel.