Why it matters
The unknown sitter is not actually laughing but has an enigmatic smile, amplified by his upturned moustache. Seymour Slive called it 'one of the most brilliant of all Baroque portraits'.
Did you know?
- An inscription says the sitter was 26 in 1624.
- The title was invented by the Victorian public.
- It became one of the best-known old master paintings in Britain.
Based on the Wikipedia article Laughing Cavalier (CC BY-SA 4.0).
