Portrait of Francesco Maria Bruntino

Francesco Maria Bruntino was a self-taught savant and antiquarian. He died in 1756, having spent his entire life and all his money collecting paintings, prints and fine books. Portrayed in a waist-length pose, with intense, shrewd expression, the man has ruffled hair and an unkempt beard, and wears an open shirt that indicates both his humble origins and his nonconformist disposition.

The painting was originally executed in c. 1730 but it was significantly reworked by the painter in 1737.