The sitter of this portrait study has not been identified even though Van Dyck painted an elaborate full length of the same man (Lisbon, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation). There has also been some discussion over the possible date of the work, as the currently preferred time is before Van Dyck left Antwerp for Italy. In this early period in Antwerp, Van Dyck was heavily under the influence of Rubens (q.v.) as is seen in the St. Paul above. However, the painting already showed strong Venetian influence which suggests that the picture could come from the artist’s Italian period in the early 1620s.

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