Portrait of Johann Philipp Schönborn, elector of Mainz

Johann Philipp von Schönborn, Elector and Archbishop of Mainz, was one of the most powerful ecclesiastical princes of the Holy Roman Empire, serving as Archchancellor of Germany and playing a significant role in the politics of post-Westphalian Germany. Kneller painted him in 1666, early in his English career, suggesting this commission may have come through diplomatic or court connections rather than a London sitting. Such continental commissions demonstrate Kneller's international reputation from an early stage.

The Elector-Archbishop is shown in his ecclesiastical robes with the formal bearing appropriate to his dual temporal and spiritual authority. The treatment of liturgical vestments and the symbols of his rank occupies a significant portion of the composition, rendered with Kneller's attention to textile surfaces.