This bearded, grey-eyed warrior is portrayed in early middle age posed like the principle subject in Pierluigi Farnese and his standard bearer (Naples, Capodimonte) of c. 1546, traditionally attributed to Titian. His features anticipate those of Pierluigi's grandson Alessandro, as we know the likeness of that famous duke from the engraving signed 'Crist. de pas. f' (Crispijn de Passe de Oude, c. 1565-1637). While the character of the imaginary landscape to which he points is similar to that in Grusasorci's fresco of 1566 in the Salone dei Vescovi of the Palazzo Arcivescovile at Verona, the portrayal seems beyond the scope of Brusasorce. The compositional device of the broken wall recalls Dürer's invention in Das Marienleben. By family resemblance the man could well have been a Farnese. Confusion with the work of Titian or Mor was encouraged by the dark background being extended over the brilliant, light landscape until this later paint was removed in cleaning by Sebastian Isepp after the Second World War. Girolamo Da Carpi is imperfectly defined as a portrait painter; but this is more likely to have been painted by him c. 1550 than by any other painter active in North Italy; and the hands seem especially characteristic.

Back to Painting Index