[1] The sitter was identified as Giacomo di Andrea Dolfin by Charles Hope in 1982,[2] based on the partially legible inscription on the letter held in the subject's right hand, which is addressed to himself.

[3] Philip Conisbee, in 1991, gave the following decipherment: "Al Cl … mo Giacomo delfin / M ... co D ... Prvi / a Vrcinovi [or Venezia]".

[6] As revealed by x-ray analysis, the copy was painted over another fully finished and cut-down portrait of a bearded, seated figure which was probably by another hand (perhaps Leandro Bassano).

[6] The painting was acquired by Joseph Duveen in 1928 and published in a German catalogue by Wilhelm Suida in 1939.

The same type of cloth hanging was once in the original portrait but proved to be a later addition and was removed during a conservation effort in 1980.