#House of Austria

[royalty-nobility]

Archduke Ferdinand II (1529-1595), Knee Piece in Eagle Armor

Artist: Francesco Terzio (Italian, 1523-1591) Renaissance

Date: c. 1550

Medium: Oil painting

Collection: Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria

Description

The knee-length portrait shows Archduke Ferdinand II in the so-called ‘Eagle Garniture’, one of the most expensive ensembles of plate-armour made during that period. Ferdinand is depicted at the height of his regency in Bohemia. He wears his trademark ‘Bohemian hat’, a head-covering made of felt and silver wire. On the table beside him lie a mantled helmet with a red plume, a gauntlet and a red sash. These military accoutrements probably allude to Ferdinand’s military command in Hungary against the Ottoman army in 1556, where he was responsible for the organisation of supplies of food and munitions for the royal fortress of Szigetvár.

When Archduke Ferdinand II was appointed regent of Bohemia in 1547, his exceptional position as supreme representative of the House of Austria demanded a display of magnificence at court. This also included operating an armoury, which produced not only military equipment but also suits of plate-armour and accoutrements for courtly tournaments. Armourers who worked for Ferdinand included the Nuremberg-born Wolf Keser (also Kheser), Melchior Pfeiffer and Wolfgang Kaiser. One Francesco Ligozzi (also Ligotza) is also mentioned as a ‘harnischmaister’ (master harnesser).

The Court Armoury was kept very busy supplying equipment for the numerous tournaments that Ferdinand hosted, notably those in 1556, 1559 and 1560. New suits of armour were also made for the Hungarian campaign of 1556. The Prague harnesses are typified by their elegant lines, compact, rounded shape and high waist. Other remarkable features include the burgonets made in two pieces, a striking motif of scales on the gorgets with powerful corded edges and the lames (overlapping plates) of the pauldrons (shoulder-guards) divided into two sections.

[emvidal]

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Arch-Reliquary of Saint Victor

In the Royal Collections of Spain, this piece is preserved in gold, silver and golden silver, with enamel applications and hard stones.

Known as the "Arch-Relicary of Saint Victor," it arrived in Spain as the dowry of Archduchess Anne of Austria (2 November 1549 – 26 October 1580), daughter of Emperor Maximilian II of Austria (31 July 1527 – 12 October 1576) and Infanta Anne of Austria (21 June 1528 – 26 February 1603), who married her uncle King Philip II (21 May 1527 - 13 September 1598) in 1584.

Created by the famous German plater, Wenzel Jamnitzer (1507/1508 – 19 December 1585), it was initially thought of as a bridal ark or jewelry box.

Later, the Queen had the relics of Saint Victor kept in and donated to the Royal Monastery of the Royal Barefoot in Madrid, where several ladies of the House of Austria lived.

MONARQUÍA Y ARISTOCRACIA

[peacefulandcozy]

ig credit: deerly_dreamer

[carolineofansbach]

[livesunique]

Burg Niederfalkenstein, Obervellach, Carinthia, Austria

Courtesy: Austria Paradise

[illustratus]

Winter in Rattenberg by Heinrich Bürkel

[breathtakingdestinations]

Vienna - Austria (by Pedro Szekely)

[ecoharbor]

📍Müllerstiege Apartment, Hallstatt, Austria 🇦🇹

[nobeerreviews]

To survive, you must tell stories.

-- Umberto Eco

(Oberlängenfeld, Austria)

[germanpostwarmodern]

Lassallehof (1924-26) in Vienna, Austria, by Hubert Gessner, Hans Paar, Friedrich Schlossberg & Fritz Waage. Photo by Martin Gerlach jun.

[fashionsfromhistory]

Evening Dress

House of Drecoll

c.1890

The MET (Accession Number: C.I.50.105.19a, b)

[emvidal]

The Austrian National Library in Vienna is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. The Baroque Grand Hall houses over 200000 historic books.

The impressive Grand Hall is almost 80 meters long and 30 meters high, and is crowned at its center by a mighty dome. The riotously colorful fresco by court painter Daniel Gran shows the "becoming a god" of Emperor Charles VI, who commissioned the construction of the library in 1723. This also stands hewn in marble in the center of the central oval – directly beneath the dome. There are other 16 statues of rulers and nobility of the Austro-Spanish Habsburg family.

[elsalouisa]

"On Saturday we saw the Empress of Austria, and | was perfectly enchanted with her. She has a most lovely, tall & thin figure (50 years old) and such a pretty face & soft voice".

Princess Alix of Hesse about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, 1887.

[tiny-librarian]

In any case it seems that Maria Theresa had expected a daughter. One of her courtiers, Count Dietrichstein, wagered against her that the new baby would be a boy. When the appearance of a girl, said to be as like her mother as two drops of water, meant that he had lost the bet, the Count has a small porcelain figure made of himself, on his knees, proffering verses by Metastasio to Maria Theresa. He may have lost his wager but if the new-born augusta figlia resembled her mother, then all the world would have gained.

Marie Antoinette: The Journey - Antonia Fraser

[livesunique]

Schloss Schönbühel, Schönbühel-Aggsbach, Austria,

Photo Courtesy of Atmos View