Cornelis van der Meulen was the first person in Sweden to paint trompe l'œil-works, where it can be difficult to distinguish between real and painted objects. The marble busts of the deceased princes Ulrik and Gustav, are surrounded by symbols of the transience of life: a withering rose bud, symbolizing an early death, and a soap bubble. Karl XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder lost four children within two years.