Ercole III is represented here in a ‘parade’ portrait that was the public image of a sovereign in which the virtues of the subject and his power are highlighted. The painter is unknown but referable to the Austrian school, paintings like this were executed by minor painters to be sent to other courts or states in order to diffuse the image of the sovereign.
Ercole III is portrayed three-quarter facing right, wearing a cuirass and wrapped in a fine cloak, embroidered with fur elements inside, which floats unrealistically around him, hiding his right arm. On his chest, under the lace jabot, the Duke proudly displays the necklace with the Toson d’oro, symbol of power and nobility. The Duke’s gaze is turned directly towards the viewer, his petite, tapered face is portrayed naturally and is characterised by the large nose that earned him the nickname ‘Duke Big Nose’, his lips are tightly closed in a seraphic smile. The huge curly wig is no longer in fashion and its size has been reduced, giving way to a more composed hairstyle: the hair is gathered into a ponytail or a low braid, only two vaporous curls remain on the sides of the face, while a few ringlets are laid on the right shoulder. In the foreground on the right is a feathered helmet resting on a red cushion.
The composition, although simple and without any particular pictorial virtuosity, remains a valuable historical testimony to the figure of Ercole III d’Este.
