Portrait of Francisco de los Cobos y Molina

The sitter of this portrait was identified on the basis of a portrait medal by Christoph Weiditz. Francisco de los Cobos y Molina (c. 1477-1547) was the secretary of State and Comendador for the kingdom of Castile under the rule of the Emperor Charles I of Spain (later Emperor Charles V). He became wealthy in his work with the state and used some of his riches in fostering patronage and acquiring art. He was a confidant and adviser as secretary to Emperor Charles V, with whom he travelled to Bologna in 1530 for Charles’s coronation by Pope Clement as Holy Roman Emperor and afterward to Germany and Flanders, between 1530 and 1532. It was probably on the trip to Flanders that de los Cobos met and engaged Gossart to paint his portrait.

This portrait belongs to Gossart’s last great works, the perfection of the execution shows him at the peak of his abilities. It is exemplary of his high-end, costly production for his most important clients.