The painting portrays Venetian nobleman Nicolò Priuli, elected prosecutor in 1545 after a brilliant political career. His name is engraved at the basis of the column portrayed on the right side of the painting. The character does not wear the typical clothing of his role, but a heavy black robe edged in fur and the so-called black mortarboard on his head: the general clothing of Venetian noblemen without any reference to specific political roles. It is therefore likely that the portrait – generally considered an early work by Jacopo Tintoretto – dates back to the period before his election as Prosecutor.