Portrait of Robert de la Marck, 4th Duke of Bouillon

This portrait of Robert de la Marck, 4th Duke of Bouillon, painted around 1550, depicts a powerful nobleman from the borderlands between France and the Empire. The de la Marck family controlled the strategically important principality of Sedan and played significant roles in the military and political affairs of both France and the Netherlands. Characteristic of Lyon's approach, the work displays small-scale portraits on wood or parchment, blue-green or red grounds, intimate psychological likeness.

The portrait captures the duke with the directness and precision characteristic of Corneille's best work. The sitter's military bearing is conveyed through subtle details of posture and expression, while the costume indicates his high social rank.