In this austere three-quarter length portrait, Giovanni Vincenzo Imperiale sits upright in a high-back chair and looks directly out at the viewer with a penetrating gaze. His black gown and black four-cornered beret identify him as a senator of the Genoese republic, a position of great respect and responsibility that he assumed the very year Anthony Van Dyck executed this portrait. Giovanni Vincenzo probably commissioned the painting to commemorate his appointment, which he holds rolled up in his left hand. He sits before a window with a view of Genoa's harbor, identifiable by the lighthouse glowing among the hills on the far shore. Van Dyck must have included this view as a reference to Giovanni Vincenzo's distinguished naval career—he had previously been admiral of the Genoese fleet.
Van Dyck has aptly communicated Giovanni Vincenzo's illustrious past and imposing demeanor with a remarkable sense of naturalism. Although the Genoese senator's attire is somber and his gaze is steely, he also seems relaxed, as he rests his hands comfortably in his lap. Unfortunately, the painting does lack depth of form, particularly in the robe. Thick layers of discolored varnish and overall abrasion have compromised the painting's appearance and diminished the richness of the black robe that must have existed. Despite the imperfect state of preservation, the conceptual framework is entirely consistent with Van Dyck's work. Giovanni Vincenzo's austere presence, so indicative of his position of authority, is one that Van Dyck, with his intimate knowledge of Renaissance portrait tradition, was able to convey with a surety unmatched by his contemporaries.