NotesThe boys depicted are the sons of the banker Martin Anton Heckscher (1762–1823) and his wife, Eva Schlesinger (1768–1851), of Hamburg. They range in age from eight to thirteen and wear identical blue suits with shiny buttons and open white collars. The youngest, seated on the left with a dog, is Johann Gustav Wilhelm Moritz (1797–1865). The two older standing boys are Carl Martin Adolph (1796–1850) in the center and Leopold (born 1792) to the right.

Provenancethe father of the sitters, Martin Anton Heckscher, Hamburg (1805–d. 1823); by descent to his grandson, August Heckscher, Huntington, N.Y. (by 1867–d. 1941); his grandson, August Heckscher II, New York (1941–d. 1997); his widow, Claude C. (Mrs. August) Heckscher, New York (1997–2002)