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Domenico Tintoretto prepared his canvases with a dark background and then worked from the darkest shadows to the lightest highlights. Light was often used as a dramatic device in Domenico Tintoretto's paintings. The armor worn by the Venetian naval commander in this portrait is polished and gleaming. The commander looks right at us, adding to the dramatic experience of the spectator who views this painting.

Through the window over the commander's right shoulder, we can see a spectacular battle at sea. Domenico Tintoretto had experience painting military battles. His early work, in partnership with his also famous father Jacopo Tintoretto, included large scenes of military conflict and drama.

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