Numerous portraits of members of the House of Guelph have existed since the High Middle Ages. These portraits, which over the centuries have stimulated a wide-ranging program of visual image cultivation, combine claims and functions. From the large spectrum of objects, this book takes a closer look and analyzes individual portraits and series of portraits from the early modern period. The contributions range from a broad overview to a focused view. They are not only devoted to the different forms of appearance and contexts, but above all to the tasks of the genre of the portrait: representation, historicization and the conveying of continuity. The volume opens up exemplary insights into a research area that has not been adequately appreciated to this day and is often underestimated in terms of its importance for art and cultural history.