Abraham Casteleyn and his wife sit holding hands as a sign of marital fidelity. Casteleyn was a printer and the founder of the newspaper Haerlemse Courant. All the objects depicted in the painting, such as the books and globe, allude to his profession and erudition. The portrait bust in the background represents Laurens Janszoon Coster of Haarlem, long considered to be the inventor of the printing press.