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Lucas Cranach was a wealthy and successful painter who employed many assistants in a large studio in Germany. He was known for his bold, life-like portraits of Saxony nobles. His son, Lucas the Younger, kept the studio working after his father's death in 1553. Although Lucas Cranach may not have painted this portrait of George, Duke of Saxony, art historians have determined that the painting came from the Cranach studio.

George, Duke of Saxony, also known as George the Bearded or George the Rich, wears a gold sheep on a decorated chain around his neck. It stands for the Order of the Golden Fleece, a society created to support the Catholic Church and to honor the qualities of knighthood: courage, honor, loyalty and consideration for others. The ring on his finger may also be a reference to the Order of the Golden Fleece.

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