''Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman'' ( es, Retrato de un caballero desconocido) is an oil painting by El Greco. Painted in Toledo between 1603 and 1607, and on display at the Museo del Prado, it has been cited as a possible portrait of

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

, based on the fact that the author and playwright was living near Toledo in 1604 and that he knew people within El Greco's circle of friends. It is one of a series of secular portraits of unknown gentlemen, all of them dressed in black and wearing white

ruff Ruff may refer to: Places *Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community *Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community Other uses *Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fami ...

s, against dark backgrounds, the most famous of which is '' El caballero de la mano en el pecho'' (''The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest'') (ca. 1580).On-line gallery: ''The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest''
Museo del Prado. Retrieved 25 June 2013.

References

{{Authority control Paintings by El Greco in the Museo del Prado Unknown Gentleman 1600s paintings Cultural depictions of Miguel de Cervantes