| Portrait of Pier Maria Rossi di San Secondo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Parmigianino |
| Year | c. 1535–1538 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 133 cm × 98 cm (52 in × 39 in) |
| Location | Museo del Prado,Madrid |
Portrait of Pier Maria Rossi di San Secondo is a painting by the Italian Mannerist artistParmigianino, executed around 1535–1539 and housed in theMuseo del Prado,Madrid,Spain. The subject was Count of San Secondo, and the painting forms a pair with a group portrait of his Countess and their children,Portrait of Camilla Gonzaga and Her Three Sons, although the latter is not unanimously attributed to Parmigianino.
It is mentioned in a 1686 inventory of the collections of theRoyal Alcazar of Madrid, as theportrait of count of San Sigundo. The subject has been identified withPier Maria III de' Rossi basing on this note, and by another from 1630 by one of his descendants about the existence of a portrait of him by Parmigianino.
The painting arrived in Spain in 1664, after KingPhilip IV had supported the Rossi family in a dispute with theFarnese of Parma about some territories. It has been dated from around 1535 to 1539, based on the age of Pier Maria (born in 1508) in the portrait, and a statement by Parmigianino's contemporary, the art historianGiorgio Vasari, that the artist took refuge at Pier Maria's court in the period in question.
The count is portrayed standing in front of a preciousdamask cloth background. He wears a long and wide, fur-lined black jacket, a waistcoat in the same color, a white shirt and white trousers with contemporary "French" cuts and paddedcodpiece. His austere posture and the hand at the sword's hilt refer to Pier Maria's military career. He looks to the right, ideally towards his wife's portrait.
At the right is a landscape with a city rich of monuments, perhapsRome. The objects are also references to the count's life and personal interests: a statue ofMars, the Roman war god, an ancient bas-relief (symbol of his collector attitude), and some books, hinting to his love for literature (he was in correspondence of poetPietro Aretino). One of the books has the inscription "Imperio", referring to Pier Maria's commitment with emperorCharles V at the time in which the work was painted.
