Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk (1537/8-1551)

This portrait, painted in 1541, reflects Hans Holbein the Younger's command of formal portraiture, drawing on Leonardo. The work reflects the social importance of commissioned portraits in the Renaissance period, serving both as personal memento and public statement of status. Despite the boys' short lives—both died of sweating sickness in 1551 within hours of each other—their double portraits at the Royal Collection provide Holbein's most intimate record of Tudor childhood.

Oil on canvas, the portrait demonstrates Hans Holbein the Younger's command of psychological penetration and precise draftsmanship. The careful modeling of the face reveals close study of the sitter's physiognomy, while the treatment of costume and setting projects appropriate social standing.