By 1850, when Swedish singer Jenny Lind came to the United States for a concert tour under the auspices of impresario P. T. Barnum, she was well accustomed to adulation. Known as the "Swedish Nightingale," she had been overwhelming European audiences for years with her soprano voice. But in America the response was even more positive. On her arrival, thanks to Barnum's aggressive publicity buildup, she was an instant celebrity, and the first ticket for her premier concert sold for $225 at auction. Charmed both by her voice and the donation of some of her performance fees to charity, the public worshiped Lind wherever she went. By the time she returned to Europe in 1852, Lind had come to represent for many Americans the epitome of feminine grace and virtue.

Artist Francis B. Carpenter painted this likeness soon after he settled in New York City and about the time he began his commission to paint a series of likenesses of prominent Americans. He is best known for his large painting depicting Abraham Lincoln's first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet.