The work is most likely a fragment of a larger composition. It depicts a bust of a man wearing stylised antique armour and holding a sword in his right hand. It is very likely that the person represented is David. Such works were performed mainly in series, as a gallery of portraits of "glorious men". Among them were Old Testament characters, emperors, Roman military leaders, etc. Serial images of prominent historical figures gained popularity in Italy in the 16th century. Stylistically, the painting can be dated between the second half of the 16th and early 17th centuries.