Portrait of a gentleman, three-quarter-length, in a black doublet and hose, leaning on a green-draped tabletop

Set against a sober gray background, the young man portrayed in this refined portrait stands with one hand resting on a table and the other placed on his hip. He turns his head to face the viewer with a confident gaze that belies his youth. Likely a member of the Spanish Court, he wears the fashion of his time: a black, velvet doublet embellished in gold cord, with a small ruff at the collar and additional cuffs at the sleeves and matching paned hose. The hilt of a small sword is seen on his side.

An inscription at upper left records the sitter’s age of 21 years, as well as the date 1563. The significance of the letters `P’ and `M’ remains a mystery, although they might provide a clue as to the yet-unknown artist's identity. Notably, this work was painted just four years after 1559, the year that Sofonisba Anguissola was invited to the court of King Philip II of Spain in Madrid. There, she became attendant to Philip’s eldest daughter, Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia and lady-in-waiting to his third wife, Elisabeth of Valois. Sofonisba’s role was teacher of drawing and painting, permitting her to complete portraits of almost all members of the Spanish royal family. The present portrait shares several of the qualities that define Sofonisba’s highly personal style, such as the soft modelling, sensitive rendering of light, and emphasis on capturing the essence of the sitter’s personality.