Portrait of a Man

The unidentified sitter in this portrait, painted in Venice in the workshop of Domenico Tintoretto, son of the more famous Jacopo, is believed to be a Moorish ambassador to the Venetian court. The somewhat dark-skinned sitter is dressed, however, in European costume, although the white sash around his waist lends a touch of the exotic. The rectangular package on the table next to him, wrapped in white and secured with a wax seal, may indicate his role as a diplomat or an envoy. According to contemporary sources, Domenico's studio was often visited by diplomats commissioning portraits.