38 - Study of Archduke Franz Karl - a podcast by Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.
from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Together with the adjoining salon, this room was part of the suite occupied by Archduke Franz Karl, the father of Franz Joseph, in the 19th century. The paintings again take us back to the reign of Maria Theresa. The famous family portrait by Martin van Meytens shows Emperor Franz Stephan and Maria Theresa surrounded by their off-spring. The imperial couple had 16 children – eleven daughters and five sons – of whom eleven survived into adulthood. Missing from the painting are two children who were born later and three who had already died. One of the main duties of a ruling family was to produce as many heirs to the throne as possible in order to ensure the continuation of the dynasty. Opposite the family portrait are likenesses of the women who played an important role in the life of Maria Theresa. To the right of the mirror is her mother, Elisabeth Christine, and on the left is Countess Fuchs, once the governess and later the close confidante of the monarch. As an expression of her attachment Maria Theresa had her buried in the imperial tomb in the crypt of the Church of the Capuchin Friars, the only imperial court servant to be accorded this honour.
Further episodes of Schloß Schönbrunn - The State Rooms and Imperial Apartments on the piano nobile
Further podcasts by Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.