Paul Emil Jacobs (1802-1866) is largely known as a painter of historical subjects. In 1818 he became a pupil at the Munich Academy and subsequently established himself in Frankfurt as a portraitist. After a visit to St. Petersburg in 1830, Jacobs became a member of the Academy there. However, Gotha became the artist’s chief place of residence from 1834 and it was there that he was appointed court painter and aulic counsellor to the Duke. In 2002 an exhibition at the castle in Gotha marked the bicentennial anniversary of Jacobs' birth.

Prince Albert (1819-61), later Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, sits on a bank, holding a white rabbit on his lap. Next to him Prince Ernest, later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818-93) feeds the rabbit a leaf with his left hand, and his right hand rests on his brother's shoulder. The two princes were the sons of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1784-1844), and his first wife Louise, Princess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1800-31).

After the painting by Ludwig Döll at Schloss Callenberg; the Royal Collection also has two drawings after this painting (RCIN 421489, 912109). In addition there are two copies after Döll's group portrait of Ernst and Albert with their mother, Princess Louise, at Schloss Ehrenburg (RCIN 404517, 400951).