Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1535-51)

Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, painted in 1541 as a child alongside his brother Charles, is among Holbein's most technically refined small-scale portraits. The boys, sons of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, were members of the highest Tudor aristocracy, and their double portrait conveyed both dynastic status and the humanist emphasis on childhood education that characterized elite Tudor culture. Holbein's rendering of the child's face — the particular softness of young flesh, the alert intelligence of childhood — demonstrates his ability to modulate his technique for different subjects and ages. Both boys died of sweating sickness in 1551, making this portrait their only significant surviving likeness.

Oil on canvas, the portrait demonstrates Hans Holbein the Younger's command of precise draftsmanship and psychological penetration. 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.