Giuseppe Lertora (1821-1896), Milanese from a family of Genoese origin, first employee, then owner of a button factory, when he dies he named his brother Alessandro, arranging many legacies in charity, especially in favor of children's institutions, and a figure of 50,000 lire for the Maggiore Hospital. The commission of the portrait is the subject of an exchange between painters: Gaetano Previati assigns this task to Amerino Cagnoni in exchange for the portrait of Angela Maccia Rotta, assigned to him and then made by Previati.