Portrait of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino

The subject is shown with a dark beard and beret, wearing a heavy red velvet mantle lined with fur over a golden brocade waistcoat. His right hand rests near his waist, and he gazes directly at the viewer against a dark, neutral background. The rich textures of the fabric and the detailed rendering of his features emphasize his status as a high-ranking Renaissance nobleman.

Lorenzo II de' Medici is historically significant as the dedicatee of Niccolò Machiavelli’s 'The Prince'. As a member of the Medici family, his lineage was responsible for the essential patronage of Marsilio Ficino and the translation of the 'Corpus Hermeticum', which sparked the Renaissance revival of Neoplatonism and Hermeticism.