Portrait of Ferry Carondelet with his Secretary

Ferry Carondelet wears a luxurious fur-lined robe and gazes directly at the viewer while holding a bundle of letters. To the right, a secretary leans over a table to write, while a third figure is partially visible in the shadows to the left. The scene is set against classical architecture featuring a Corinthian column and a distant landscape showing a fortified villa.

The work illustrates the humanist culture of the Renaissance papal court, specifically the integration of classical moral philosophy into the 'active life' of diplomacy. The background inscription refers to the Greek concept of Kairos (right timing), a central theme in the ethical writings of humanists like Erasmus.