Portrait of a Gentleman, three-quarter length, carrying a sword and holding a letter,
inscribed on the letter: […] Firenze,
oil on canvas, 99.5 x 70.5 cm, framed

The present portrait can be referred to a painter working in Florence in the second half of the 16th century.The unidentified gentleman is depicted three-quarter length, carrying a sword and holding a letter in his right hand. On the letter can be read “Firenze”, although the rest of the inscription is illegible and the style of the painting and the execution: the firm modeling of the face and hands, the clearly defined forms, the pose of the figure and the attention to the psychological attitude of the sitter are all elements that are found comparable to the Florentine portraiture of the second half of the 16th century. The precisely drawn outlines and the refined volume are reminiscent of Bronzino, and the pose of the figure and the setting recalls the Florentine portraits by Jacopino del Conte.

According to the costume, the collar and the hair style the present painting was executed around 1570.

We are grateful to Dr. Heidi J. Hornik for suggesting an attribution to Michele Tosini, Michele di Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio (Florence 1503-1577) for the present painting on the basis of a photograph.