Edward, Prince of Wales 1543

This oil painting on panel by Hans Holbein the Younger depicts Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, in 1543. The portrait, rendered in profile, shows Edward in a richly detailed black and white cap with a feather, a crimson doublet, and a fur collar. The painting's small size and intimate composition, typical of Holbein's portraiture, highlight the youthful subject's features. The inscription "AETATIS SVE VI" indicates Edward's age, six years old, at the time of the portrait, which was created just months before Holbein's own death in November of 1543.