The leader Stefano IV Colonna, lieutenant of the Medici family who distinguished himself for the defense of Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome in 1527, is portrayed by Bronzino with the clear intention of highlighting the military virtues of the subject. The burnished armor, the solid and confident pose, the hand gestures that highlight the helmet and the sword, the firm and proud gaze describe Stefano Colonna like a biography. The original frame of the painting is decorated with reliefs of weapons, referring to the profession of the portrayed character. The painting, exhibited as a funerary portrait in the Florentine church of San Lorenzo during the funeral ceremony of 1548, is signed and dated on the base of the column, which closes the space on the left and alludes to the noble family of Stephen IV. A few years before making this painting, which is striking for the characterization capacity of the portrayed character and the very high technical quality, Agnolo Bronzino was appointed official portraitist of the Medici court, confirming the value of the Florentine artist in this pictorial genre.