This is one of a series of heads by Ricci copied at the same size from Veronese's Feast in the House of Levi (Accademia, Venice). The picture was painted for the refectory of the Dominicans at SS. Giovanni e Paolo, and its source is, as inscribed on it, Luke 5.29. Here is the head of bearded old man, turned to the right. He is wearing a bonnet-like red cap with a string and has a red cape draped over his left shoulder, over a green buttoned coat. The head is from the man seated at the extreme left of Veronese's composition, who is not an Apostle, but probably a Publican.

There exist further comparable heads by Ricci; it may be that Consul Smith originally owned all of the of the copies by Ricci of heads in Veronese's painting, but that for unknown reasons only some were sold to George III. Ricci's copies are painted as sketches - almost as if to suggest preparatory sketches for Veronese's picture, though there cannot have been any attempt to deceive, as it was widely published that Ricci had executed them. The painting was cleaned in 1977-8.