Puget traveled to Rome in the early 1660s, where he closely studied ancient busts in the collections of wealthy nobles. Although inspired by Greek and Roman depictions of individual philosophers, orators, and writers, Puget created a generalized image of this type—a mature, bearded man with a furrowed brow— rather than a portrait of a particular historical figure. The rounded forms of the flesh and individual locks of hair are particularly characteristic of 17th-century baroque taste.