"Described by Vasari (Titian's biographer) in 1567 as among the artist's later portraits, the sitter of this painting lost his identity for a while until his likeness was recently matched with an inscribed sculptured bust (now in the Museum of Bassano del Grappa). Nicolò Zen was a Savio di terraferma and a Knight (either of which would account for the colour of his robe), a member of the Council of Ten and served as ambassador to Charles V in 1545. He was also an author and a friend of the publisher Francesco Marcolini, and of Titian's patrons Pietro Aretino and Daniele Barbaro." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/nicolo-zen-15151565-100444">[1]</a>
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Titian" class="extiw" title="w:en:Titian"><span title="Italian painter (c.1490-1576)">Titian</span></a>
</bdi>
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>