Portrait of a gentleman, three-quarter length, wearing an order, possibly that of the Order of Santiago

The cuirass and spaulders worn by the sitter are those of a high ranking military officer living in northern Europe around 1660. The helmet, characteristically French in design, dates from around 1620, a discrepency not uncommon in military fashion since helmets were often passed from father to son as an index of social and military rank. The same helmet type was also made in Antwerp and used throughout the Netherlands. The cross flory painted on the breast plate may also refer to the Mousquetaires du Roi, an elite regiment instituted by Louis XIII and continued through the Revolution. The silver-hilted sword and its embroidered carrier exemplify the highest degree of craftsmanship of the period.