Lodovico Ariosto (1474 - 1533), poet and dramatist from Ferrara, was the author of the epic poem 'Orlando Furioso', a scene from which was used by Ingres in his 'Angelica saved by Ruggiero'.
A number of portraits of Ariosto were painted by Titian. 'The Portrait of a Man' in the National Gallery has sometimes been supposed to be one such.
So too 'Portrait of a Poet (Ariosto?)' by Palma Vecchio dated about 1515-16, the year in which 'Orlando Furioso' was originally published. In this portrait the sitter is placed in front of a laurel bush, the symbol of a poet.
