| Artist | |
|---|---|
| Culture | German |
| Date | ca. 1790 |
| Object type | painting |
| Medium, technique | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 206 × 140 cm |
| Inventory number | 95.4 |
| Collection | Old Master Paintings |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, Second Floor, European Art 1700-1850, Gallery XXIX |
The aristocratic appearance, the unruffled face and the noble bearing all suggest that the picture shows a ruler. At the age of twenty, Maria Ludovica married the Austrian archduke who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia in 1790 as Leopold II.
The Empress’s appearance is airy and light, cool and sublime at the same time, suggesting that Füger was not untouched by the influence of traditional English portraiture.
The early death of the Empress and the painter’s incipient eye disease may be the reason why the painting remained unfinished, giving it an unintentionally impressionistic touch.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
