Head of a Man: The Conde De Tilly, Johan 't Serclaes (1559–1632)

Head of a Man, identified as the Conde de Tilly, at Pollok House in Glasgow, depicts a military figure connected to the Habsburg imperial cause. If the identification is correct, the sitter commanded Catholic forces during the early stages of the Thirty Years War. Velázquez's uncompromising naturalism and psychological penetration, combined with his revolutionary loose handling of paint in his late work, made him one of the most admired painters in history, his technique anticipating Impressionism and influencing Manet, Sargent, and countless others.

The head study format strips the portrait to its essence — just the face and suggestion of costume emerging from a dark background. The broad, confident brushwork and limited palette suggest a rapidly executed study, possibly preparatory for a larger composition.