"Piero was the son of a jeweller, but was named after his godfather and master in painting, Cosimo Rosselli. In 1481-82 he worked as a pupil of Rosselli in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Placing the portrait in a landscape was a frequent Florentine practice and the convention survived for a long time. The picture is somewhat damaged and has been cut down on all four sides, then enlarged with an addition at the bottom (now concealed by the frame). Recent conservation has revealed the intensity of the jewel-like colouring and made sense of the sitter’s costume, previously marred by overpaint applied to disguise the later addition."