After studying at the Royal Academy in Stockholm, Mimmi Zetterström moved to Paris in the 1870s. She participated several times in the Paris Salon, where she was recognized for her exotic scenes from Lapland. One of these paintings was purchased by the French government. In this self-portrait from 1876, she has depicted herself by the easel in her Paris studio. She is working on the painting Dalfolk [People from Dalarna], which is now in the Nationalmuseum collection. In Paris, Zetterström opened her home to many of the young Swedish artists who lived in the city.