For hundreds of years portraits have stood as symbols of status and wealth. Clearly Robert Dudley has the status, considering he was the Earl of Leicester, and the wealth is shown in his portrait. 

It's never just about looks of the person. The Earl, obviously not the most easy on the eyes, makes up for his looks with his wealth. First, the Earl has a dog, which symbolizes fidelity. Additionally, Dudley knows that dogs are chick magnets, so he is obviously showing off his pooch to attract girls. In terms of status and nobility, van der Meulen displays two of Dudley's crests to show just how significant his status is. He is an Earl! So if you don't care much about looks, you could marry an Earl and get everything else you could wish for. 

In terms of his natural looks, Dudley has a great jaw line. Besides his receding hair line, his eye brows are on fleek, and he is well groomed.

It's clear that he needs to showcase his status and downplay his looks, which is also why his outfit covers almost everything. In the portrait, Dudley sports that insane outfit you saw at Paris Fashion Week that nobody would ever wear out of the house. He is wearing a somewhat feminine outfit, a white, almost silver, with gold accents. The outfit accentuates his long neck and waist. His belt serves multiple purposes, so hewers this belt to show that not only are his clothes multifaceted, but so is he. He has a hanker-chief holder along with a holster for his dagger. On the other side of his belt he has another tool that could be some type of fancy fountain pen which he will use to write love letters to you or sign important documents, like the one in his left hand. Dudley also sports a hat with a feather from a rare goose. To finish the ensemble, Dudley wears a long necklace. The necklace of is gold of course, because he is trying to show his status and style. 

Of course attitude also matters. While it can be hard to convey somebody's attitude in just one portrait, Dudley does it well. The nice side eye look shows that he doesn't have time to be standing here all day; the Earl has things to do. Also, he is clearly sending a message with his right hand. Interpret that as you want. 

Even though his mom may have set up this portrait, if you are looking for a man with status, money, and power, Dudley is the man for you. Also, what is more hot than a man who is close to his mom, right?