Alten emigrated from Germany to Michigan as a young man, settling with his family in Grand Rapids in 1889, where he lived for the rest of his life. In the early to mid-20^th century, Alten was nationally recognized for his landscapes, still lifes, and portraits that drew on traditional European painting as well as more contemporary styles, like Impressionism.

This painting, The Alten Daughters, was likely painted in Mathias Alten’s own home. The ornamental aspects found in this work such as decorative wallpaper, a Japanese folding screen, and his daughters’ embroidered clothing add rich detail to this family portrait.