Marthinus Theunis Steyn (1857 - 1916) was the last President of the Orange Free State from 1896 to 1902. Eloff visited Steyn on his farm, Onze Rust where he sculpted him. The bust was done in eight versions with small differences in terracotta. One was cast in bronze during his lifetime in France and two others posthumously. In one of the photographs Steyn is sitting in a chair looking at the sculpture.