GONZÁLEZ Y SERRANO, Bartolomé
(b. 1564, Valladolid, d. 1627, Madrid)

Portrait of a Gentleman

c. 1607
Oil on canvas, 115 x 98 cm
Private collection

This portrait is supposed to represent Don Antonio de Moncada y Aragón, V Duque de Montalto who received the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece on 16 April 1607 from the Viceroy of Naples, the Marqués de Villena. It seems likely that the present portrait was commissioned from González soon afterwards to commemorate the occasion.

This relatively early work reveals the significant influence exerted on the artist's style by the work of the royal portraitist of the previous generation, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz.