It was commissioned by cardinal Alessandro Farnese, who wanted a copy of Michelangelo's work for his family collection. It was moved to Naples with the rest of the collection at the end of the 18th century.
Mariella Utili e Barbara Maria Savy, Museo di Capodimonte - La Galleria Farnese: dipinti italiani, Napoli, Electa Editore, 1999, ISBN978-88-435-8618-9.