Portrait of a Young Man

The painter of this picture was previously known as A. F. Master of Ferrara.

Baldassare Estense was the natural son of Nicolo III d’Este. In the last centuries this painting was attributed to different painters based on the initials to be found in the lower part of the picture. Since these initials were resolved as A. F(errariensis) P(ixit), the painting was mentioned for a long time as the work of A.F. Master from Ferrara. In the last decades the attribution to Baldassare Estense seems to be final. The identity of the young man on the picture is not established. Constanzo Sforza, Antonio Ordelaffi or somebody from the Fugger family are usually mentioned as possible identification.