Portrait of a Man aged 48

The work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a format typical of mid-sixteenth-century portraiture. The dimensions of 71 by 55 centimeters correspond to the recorded measurements of the painting, and the surface shows the handling characteristics of a work transferred from the Spanish royal collection. Formal analysis notes the restrained palette and precise rendering of texture, especially in the depiction of the sitter's coat of arms, glove and gemstone, which together convey a controlled, courtly presence.

The composition combines naturalistic detail with a subtle modeling of facial features that reflects the stylistic conventions of Netherlandish portraiture adopted by the artist.

The material evidence confirms the use of oil paint as the medium, with the panel support remaining in stable condition despite its age. The painting's provenance includes ownership by Ferdinand VII, Charles II, and Elisabeth Farnese, underscoring its historical significance within European royal collections.

Frans Floris created the oil-on-panel portrait titled Portrait of a Man aged 48 in 1555. The work depicts a man accompanied by a coat of arms, a glove, and a gemstone. Its ownership history traces back to the Spanish royal collection, having been held by Charles II of Spain and later by Elisabeth Farnese.

The painting eventually entered the possession of Ferdinand VII of Spain before being transferred to the Museo del Prado, where it is currently housed alongside other royal palace locations such as the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.

The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Historical records indicate the work was owned by Charles II of Spain, Elisabeth Farnese, and Ferdinand VII of Spain. The source data also associates the location of the piece with the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.

No specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available sources. Similarly, while the work's ownership history is noted, there is no information regarding its exhibition history.

The 1555 portrait of a man commissioned by the Duke of Alba exemplifies Northern Renaissance portraiture's emphasis on status markers through meticulous detail, particularly evident in the inclusion of a coat of arms, glove, and gemstone. Its provenance through Spanish royal collections underscores the work's significance within the artist's broader context of courtly representation. Scholarly analysis of the painting's composition and symbolism has contributed to ongoing discussions about Floris's role in shaping elite portraiture in the Low Countries during the mid-sixteenth century.

The work's presence in major institutional collections, including the Museo del Prado, has facilitated extensive academic study of its artistic and historical dimensions.

Portrait of a Man aged 48 by Frans Floris, painted in 1555, was owned by Spanish monarchs Ferdinand VII, Charles II, and Elisabeth Farnese before entering the collection of the Museo del Prado. The work's significance as a portrait was noted by contemporaries, and it later informed scholarly assessments of Floris' role in Netherlandish Renaissance art. Its inclusion in royal inventories contributed to the painting's documented influence on subsequent portraiture in European courts.

The Prado's provenance records underscore its historical reception, linking the portrait to elite patronage and later artistic discourse.

Frans Floris painted a portrait in 1555 that records a sitter aged forty‑eight. Executed in oil on canvas, the work presents a solitary figure against a dark, unadorned backdrop, allowing the subject’s features and attire to dominate the composition. The painting now belongs to the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.