The captain Stefano IV Colonna, Lieutenant of the Medici household, distinguished himself by defending Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome in 1527. Here Bronzino stresses the subject’s military virtues. The burnished suit of armor, the solid and sturdy pose, the hand gestures that draw attention to the helmet and sword, and the proud, firm gaze, all give a biographical portrait of Stefano Colonna. The original frame of the painting is decorated with arms in relief, evoking the profession of the personage portrayed.
