A portrait of an unidentified gentleman dressed in black with a white ruff. His expressive gaze and the loose and confident brushstrokes denote the high quality of this work, which is very similar to other portraits painted by El Greco at the beginning of the sixteenth century, like the so-called Aged Nobleman (P806).

There are various hypotheses about the identity of the sitter. Some authors believe it might be Miguel de Cervantes, who lived close to Toledo in 1604 and had friends in El Greco's circle.

This work comes from the country home of the Duke of Arco at El Pardo (Madrid).