Portrait of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli

The work, painted after the death of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli in 1879, is an example of posthumous portraiture. The aristocratic elegance and social rank of the model are testified by his dark suit, brightened by the white shirt front. Older and with his face leaner than in the youthful portrait by Hayez (Inv. 48), Gian Giacomo also sports a fine pair of long side-whiskers, on fashion at the time.
Giuseppe Bertini had been involved in the creation of the house-museum and its collections, supporting Poldi Pezzoli with his skill as painter, restorer and connoisseur of art. When the museum opened in 1881 he was appointed its director.