Portrait of a Young Man in Senator's Garb

The composition of this portrait of an unidentified young man derives from Flemish prototypes, specifically those by Hans Memling, rather than the work of Antonello da Messina, to whom the panel was originally attributed. Bellini placed the figure behind a marble parapet, a compositional device derived from Antonello's work, but unlike the latter's portraits, however, Bellini's sitter is situated against a sky blue background and stare abstractly into the distance.