The regal air of this portrait derives from the state portrait tradition established by Titian in the sixteenth century. The left arm akimbo and the right hand resting on the table convey his authority, which is reinforced by the sword hilt projecting from his hip. The sober formality of his clothing evokes Spanish fashion of the period. As Key worked in the Spanish-controlled Southern Netherlands, it is likely that this gentleman belonged to the Spanish administration at the Brussels court.