In his life of the Milanese sculptor Leone Leoni, Vasari records a commission from Ferdinand, Duke of Alba, Captain-General of the Imperial army, for busts of Charles V, Philip II and himself. All three busts depict the sitters as Christian knights, wearing armour delineated with painstaking accuracy. By means of his medals and busts, Leoni shares with Titian responsibility for creating the historical image of the Emperor. Purchased by George IV