In 1505, Cranach was appointed court painter to the electors of Saxony at Wittenberg, serving successively Frederick the Wise, John the Steadfast, and John Frederick the Magnanimous. The sitter in this portrait was a member of the ducal or Albertine branch of the family as opposed to the electoral or Ernestine line. The bold design and dramatic color, and the capricious but graceful outline of the costume are typical of the style Cranach developed as a portraitist to the court. The picture has been dated about 1537.

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