The painting was based on a design by Michelangelo, who in many other cases made drafts for the paintings of his friend, Sebastiano.
The donor was probably Pierfrancesco Borgherini, a wealthy merchant and a friend of both Sebastiano del Piombo and Michelangelo. Borgherini was the same client who commissioned from Sebastiano the decoration of a chapel in San Pietro in Montorio, Rome.
|