Porträt eines Mannes

Portrait of a Man

This is one of Parmigianino's earliest portraits. The sitter was probably a collector of note. He holds a Book of Hours, while valuable antiquities - a sculpted relief of Venus, a bronze statuette of Ceres, and coins - surround him. It is deliberately unclear whether the landscape on the right is real or painted. This illusionism is typical of Parmigianino.