Portrait of a young patriot was executed in the second half  of 19th century and due to close stilistic similarities was attributed to the hand of Italian painter and politician Andrea Cefaly  (1827 – Cortale - 1907).He is sometimes called "senior" to distinguish him from his nephew Andrea Cefaly junior, also a painter.

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The artist was born in Cortale, a town in the province of Catanzaro, to an ancient aristocratic family. After studying at the Scolopi college in Catanzaro, he moved to Naples in 1842 to pursue a career in law, and attended the lectures of the scholar Cesare Malpica and Francesco de Sanctis. Overcoming his father's resistance, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, studying with Filippo Marsigli, and at the Scuola Libera (free school) of Giuseppe Bonolis. In 1848, he took part in the anti-Bourbon liberal uprisings and fought in the National Guard, of which he was captain. He also hosted the lawyer Carlo Folino, persecuted for his liberal ideas.
In 1855, he returned to Naples, at the time of the Verist painting revolution. Two years later, he opened a studio in Vicoletto San Mattia, which became a hub and workshop for painters and writers.

In 1860, he worked with Giuseppe Garibaldi, whom he followed until the Battle of the Volturno, an experience he translated into several paintings. Returning to Cortale, in 1862, he founded a School of Painting, with Garibaldi as honorary president. The school was attended by many artists from the town, Raffaele Foderaro and Michele Mangani and from neighbouring ones, Guglielmo Tomaini from San Pietro Apostolo, Antonio Palmieri and Guglielmo De Martino from Lamezia Terme, Carmelo Davoli from Filadelfia, Antonio Migliaccio from Girifalco, Gregorio and Raffaele Cordaro from Borgia, and ended in 1875.

Full artist's biography in Italian read under following link from Wikipedia: 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Cefaly

Inscription: unsigned, on the back of the stretcher different numbers and indistinctly inscription.

Technique: oil on vanvas, original frame.

Measurements: unframed w 1& 1/2" x h 207/8" (42 x 53 cm), framed 21 7/8" x 26 1/4" (55,5 x 66,5 cm).

Condition: good.