Georges  (Georgy Emmanuilovich) Haasen collected new art, mainly French, and bought the work of Bonnard, Vallotton, Marquet, Manguin and other painters. He was the representative of the Swiss chocolate manufacturer Cailler in St Petersburg from 1906 onwards.

This portrait was painted in early March 1913, when the artist came to the Russian capital at the businessman's invitation. Vallotton's registry list under number 910: "A portrait of Monsieur Haasen, seated, full-face, the right arm resting on a table covered by a cloth with a floral pattern. In the background an apartment with drapes of various shades, in St. Petersburg." Vallotton's dispassion in the role of "formal portraitist" of Georges Haasen is almost camera-like. The painter seems to be exclusively striving after outward resemblance, not permitting his attitude towards his model to show through in a single brushstroke. It is not without reason that the details of the background in Haasen's portrait are, from the point of view of painting, far more interesting than the human figure.