This is one of the series of forty-nine portrait miniatures (420431-420679; Royal Collection) of German and other forebears of the Hanoverian dynasty which were first recorded hanging in Queen Caroline's Closet at Kensington Palace by George Vertue in 1743. The series can be dated fairly narrowly by internal evidence to the years between 1593-7 and appears to be the work of a single as yet unidentified miniature painter who worked mainly at the Brunswick-Lüneburg court but also visited Brandenburg and other centres. The artist was a naïve successor to the tradition of German court portraiture established by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) at the court of the Elector of Saxony at Wittenberg. This portrait appears to be taken from life and shows the sitter at the age of about 18. John was the seventh son of William the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (see 420439). As his six brothers he drew lots for the privilege of marrying, but was unsuccessful, dying unmarried in 1628. Inscribed at the top in white: IOHANNES HERZOG ZU BRAUNS: UND LUNEBURG.