An antique portrait of a nobleman or courtier in Rome, finely dressed in a silk justacorps typical of the 18th century. The subject stands in an extravagant interior, holding in his hand a skillfully rendered portrait-within-the-portrait. There is an inscription on the frame of the portrait-within-the-portrait, which reads "Duce [illegible]".

Through the window is a view of the Arch of Constantine and in the far distance what appears to be Trajan's Column. Notably, the Arch of Constantine is depicted as attached to a family stronghold that was removed in the mid-18th century in a restoration of the Arch, suggesting the portrait image is not later than mid-18th century. The oil is presented in an antique gilt frame with molded trim.

The oil measures 50 1/2" x 40 1/2", and the frame measures 56 1/2" x 46 1/2".

Provenance: Consigned as part of the Webster House collection. The oil is in very good condition with one notable exception: there is a long slash that has been repaired that runs from the subject's left shoulder down to the frill of his left sleeve, which required a patch be affixed to the reverse of the canvas, and required some in-painting to smooth the appearance. Fortunately, very little of the original paint layer was lost with the tear. Otherwise, no additional issues or repairs were noted under blacklight. There is a very minor scrape to the bottom right.