Porträt des Grafen Fortunato Martinengo Cesaresco

Portrait of Count Fortunato Martinengo

New research suggests that this portrait was commissioned to memorialise a Brescian nobleman, Fortunato Martinengo, before his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Expensively dressed in velvet, silk and lynx fur, Martinengo adopts a melancholic pose, reinforced by the Greek inscription on his cap: 'Alas, I desire too much'. Objects on the table may allude to his impending travels as well as his antiquarian interests. An antique bronze oil lamp in the shape of a foot might represent wayfinding, while ancient coins may indicate the currency he will need for his journey, and the luxuries he will be leaving behind. Not knowing whether he would survive the risky journey, Martinengo assigned his estate to his brother.