An image of the Emperor (1500-1558) with the armor he wore during the Battle of Mühlberg and the customary attributes of his power: the Golden Fleece and the Sash.

The profuse carving on the armor shows numerous motives. A low relief on the brestplate Christ standing on the Cross, alluding to the Emperor's condition as a “soldier of Christ,” or “defender of the Faith.” The pallettes have a winged figure bearing a palm leaf, symbolizing Victory. The pedestal shows an eagle, symbolizing the Empire, flanked by the nude figures of a man and woman, which emphasize the Renaissance vision of a classical hero. In that same sense, Carlos V's contained expression relates this image to those of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor whom Renaissance men considered the finest model of a virtuous ruler. The model is directly inspired by Titian's idealized portraits of Carlos V (P410, for example). The decoration of the armor, whose realism and fine detail are worthy of a goldsmith, is among the finest of the Leoni's works.