Portrait of Federico II Gonzaga

Portrait of Federico II Gonzaga (c. 1529) is a painting by Titian, who signed it Ticianus f.. Today in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, it portrays Federico II, Duke of Mantua who married in 1529; the portrait may have been commissioned for the occasion.

[1] Federico II Gonzaga is portrayed at half-length, standing against a dark neutral background, with one hand on his sword and the other stroking a Maltese dog, as if to underline his dual nature: friendly with those who are faithful to him, still ready to fight his enemies.

He wears a sumptuous tunic with edges decorated with embroidered inserts, tight at the waist and wide at the hips.

Around his neck he wears a necklace of black pearls, with a crucifix that testifies his faith, a notation that underlined his redemption from a stormy past.

[2] The work is mentioned in a 1666 inventory of the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, coming from the collection of the Marquess of Leganés.