Portrait of Federico II Gonzaga (c. 1529) is a painting by Titian, who signed it Ticianus f.. Today in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, it portrays Federico II, Duke of Mantua who married in 1529; the portrait may have been commissioned for the occasion. The dog, a Maltese, is a symbol of faithfulness.[1]
Description
Federico II Gonzaga is portrayed at half-length, standing against a dark neutral background, with one hand on his sword and the other stroking a Maltese dog, as if to underline his dual nature: friendly with those who are faithful to him, still ready to fight his enemies. The dog was usually used in female portraits and in this case is a symbol of loyalty.
He wears a long beard, according to the 16th-century the fashion, while his gaze is attentive and intelligent. He wears a sumptuous tunic with edges decorated with embroidered inserts, tight at the waist and wide at the hips. Around his neck he wears a necklace of black pearls, with a crucifix that testifies his faith, a notation that underlined his redemption from a stormy past.[2]
