Memorial Panel with Eight Male Portraits, probably Willem Jelysz van Soutelande and Family, with Saint James the Greater and the Van Soutelande Family Crest, inner left wing of an altarpiece

Executed in 1517, this portrait exemplifies the conventions of sixteenth-century portraiture at the height of the High Renaissance. Master of Alkmaar brings characteristic skill to the depiction of the sitter. Now held at Rijksmuseum, the painting testifies to the social importance of commissioned portraits in the High Renaissance. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Portraiture in this period served multiple functions: documenting individual appearance, commemorating social status, and demonstrating the patron's wealth through the quality of the commissioned work.

Tempera technique, reflecting earlier traditions, the portrait demonstrates Master of Alkmaar's command of skilled technique and careful observation. 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.