Sophus Théobald Levinsen (1869-1943), born in Copenhagen, was a pupil of the French painter Diogène Maillart. He worked mainly in the region around Martigues and also in Paris. He exhibited his work at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français, of which he became a member in 1909.

The east wing of the Town Hall in Brussels was built from 1402 to 1420, along with a small belfry, under the supervision of Jacob van Thienen. A second wing was completed by 1449, Charles the Bold having laid the first stone in 1444. The right wing was constructed by Guillaume de Voghel. The Brabantine Gothic tower, designed by Jan van Ruysbroek, court architect of Philip the Good, replaced the older belfry by 1455. Reproductions of sculptures representing saints, nobles, and allegroical figures decorate the facade; the original sculptures are kept in the city museum on the other side of the Grand Place.

This view shows the gothic exterior of the Town Hall, Brussels; with ogee-arched arcades on the first and second storeys, and a bell tower with a pinnacle in front of the steep, gabled roof; in the market-place beneath, a horse and cart moves past the stalls. This painting forms a pair with RCIN 406831.