How does this artwork elucidate its History?
The identity of the man portrayed before Raphael is unknown. Traditionally he was identified as his fencing master, since he holds the hilt of a sword. Modern art historians consider him a close friend, or possibly one of the painter's pupils, perhaps Polidoro da Caravaggio or Giulio Romano. One possibility is Giovanni Battista Branconio, for whom Raphael had designed, in the Borgo quarter of Rome, the now destroyed Palazzo Branconio. Other people associated with the character include Pietro Aretino, Baldassarre Peruzzi and Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, as well as other painters such as Il Pordenone or Pontormo, but these hypotheses have been refuted by other portraits.
A significant portion of the painting seems to have been executed by one of Raphael's pupils.The painting was owned by Francis I of France and, in the past, was assigned to other artists, including Sebastiano del Piombo.
Borgo Raphael Il Pordenone France Antonio da Sangallo the Younger Francis I of France Palazzo Branconio Pietro Aretino Giovanni Battista Branconio Pontormo Baldassarre Peruzzi Giulio Romano Sebastiano del Piombo Polidoro da Caravaggio