The work, together with four others attributed to Parmigianino, was listed in 1587, as a Portrait of a Priest. A more detailed description of the works in the Palazzo del Giardino at Parma from 1670 also identifies the subject as religious man. The first art historian to clarify that the subject was not a priest was Freedberg, in 1950, identifying him as Francesco Baiardi. Today he is considered an unknown collector, who holds the Offiziolo Durazzo, a miniated breviary today housed in the Biblioteca Civica Berio at Genoa. The man also appears in a portrait in London, attributed by some to Dosso Dossi.
Beautiful portrait. Have a great weekend everyone! : )
P.S. Here's everything you must know about Parmigianino and here you will get to know why he was the most popular Instagramer of the Renaissance! ;-)