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Christian Waagepetersen was keenly interested in art, music and science. He had already bought several paintings from Bendz by the time that the family portrait was commissioned. Bendz completed the painting in early 1830. It is known from Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg's diary that Bendz brought it to the annual Charlottenborg Exhibition on 7 April, one week after its official opening. The just 28-year-old Bendz died of typhoid fever in Vicenza in 1832. The position as Waagepetersen's protegé was then taken over by Wilhelm Marstrand, who completed two more family portraits of the Waagepetersen family.
Bendz' portrait of the Waagepetersen family was after Christian Waagepetersen's death passed down to his son Mozart Waagepetersen. The painting was after Mozart Waagepetersen's death passed down to his adopted son (Hermann) Gaston Waagepetersen (1849-1922), whose biological parents were portrait painter Johannes Møller and Alice Tutein. He kept the painting until his death in 1922. It remained in the family for another 75 years. On 2 December 1997. it was sold by Bruun Rasmussen (auction No. 640, Cat. No.  109) to Artemis Group, London. The Danish Commission of Export of Cultural Assets (Kulturværdiudvalget) had prior to the auction sale issued an export ban. In 1998, it was sold to the National Gallery of Denmark.
Wilhelm Marstrand National Gallery of Denmark Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg Mozart Waagepetersen Christian Waagepetersen Vicenza Charlottenborg Exhibition