Portrait of a Gentleman

Despite his distinctive facial features, this sitter’s identity is unknown. His extravagant costume, fine gloves, and manicured hands suggest a life of wealth and luxury, and his hat is adorned with a pin showing a young man struggling to lift a stone tower. The inscription surrounding this image may be a warning about the folly of decadence; it translates from French as: “He who holds too much wearies himself in vain.”