Portrait of a Halberdier

A young halberdier stands between us and a high column, one hand on his hip, the other resting along the shaft of his weapon, dressed in a doublet of pale pink and hose of brilliant green. Painted by Pontormo in Florence about 1529–30 and later transferred from panel to canvas, the portrait is one of the most famous images of Florentine Mannerism; the sitter’s identity remains uncertain. The painting is held in the J. Paul Getty Museum.