| Portrait of Francis I of Austria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Thomas Lawrence |
| Year | 1818–19 |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 266.5 cm× 175.5 cm(104.9 in× 69.1 in) |
| Location | Royal Collection, Windsor Castle |
The Portrait of Francis I of Austria is a painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting the Austrian Emperor Francis I (previously Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire).
Commissioned by the Prince Regent of Britain it was initially painted during the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818 and completed over the following months. Lawrence, Britain's leading portrait painter of the Regency Era, was commissioned by the Regent to depict many European leaders who had participated in the defeat of the French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Prince Regent commissioned the work for five hundred guineas. Francis wears military uniform with a plumed hat on the table beside him. [1] He wears the British Order of the Garter and more prominently the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece. [2] Lawrence observed difficulties with the Emperor's face which he found long, thin and melancholic. However, when Francis smiled he showed a benevolence which Lawrence depicted in the painting. Unlike the other Allied monarchs Lawrence portrayed Francis in full-length and seated on a throne. [3] The finished portrait was still in Lawrence's studio at his death in 1830. [4] Today the painting is part of the Royal Collection and hangs in the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle along with portraits of other European leaders of the era, many of them painted by Lawrence. [5]
Sir Thomas Lawrence was an English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper at the Bear Hotel in the Market Square. At age ten, having moved to Bath, he was supporting his family with his pastel portraits. At 18, he went to London and soon established his reputation as a portrait painter in oils, receiving his first royal commission, a portrait of Queen Charlotte, in 1789. He stayed at the top of his profession until his death, aged 60, in 1830.
Thomas Phillips was a leading English portrait and subject painter. He painted many of the great men of the day including scientists, artists, writers, poets and explorers.
Benjamin West was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson, The Death of General Wolfe, the Treaty of Paris, and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky.
Events in the year 1818 in Art.
The Waterloo Chamber, dating from 1830 to 1831, is a large room in Windsor Castle dedicated to the military defeat of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte by British, Prussian, Russian, and Austrian forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.
Frederick Richard Say was a notable society portrait painter in London between c. 1830 and c.1860, undertaking commissions for portraits of figures such as Earl Grey, Sir Robert Peel, the Duke of Wellington and the Royal family.
George IV is an 1821 portrait painting by the English artist Thomas Lawrence portraying George IV, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. George is depicted in the robes he wore for his Coronation in July 1821. Lawrence was Britain's pre-eminent portrait painter and had previously depicted George on a number of occasions during the Regency era before he came to the throne in succession to his father George III in 1820. Lawrence had recently been elected to succeed Benjamin West as President of the Royal Academy
Portrait of Charles X is an 1825 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence depicting the reigning French monarch Charles X. Following the French Revolution that saw his eldest brother overthrown and executed, Charles has spent many years in exile including a period in Britain. His brother Louis XVIII was restored to the throne with British assistance in 1814 and then again in 1815 following the Battle of Waterloo. Charles, as his heir, led the conservative Ultra-royalist faction in French politics. When his brother died in 1824 he succeeded to the throne. The last member of the House of Bourbon to reign, he had an elaborate coronation in Reims in May 1825. The same year Charles was painted in his coronation robes by the French artist Robert Lefèvre.
The Portrait of Marshal Blücher is an 1814 portrait painting by the English artist Thomas Lawrence of the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher.
Portrait of Lord Liverpool is a work by the English artist Thomas Lawrence depicting the British politician and Prime Minister Lord Liverpool.
Sir Charles Stewart is an 1812 portrait by the English artist Thomas Lawrence of the Irish soldier and diplomat Charles Stewart. Stewart was a career soldier who had served in the Peninsular War as Adjutant General to Allied commander Lord Wellington. Stewart had returned home from Portugal when he posed for the portrait and was subsequently appointed British Ambassador to Prussia, launching a diplomatic career that saw him play a key role in forming the alliance that defeated Napoleon and attending the Congress of Vienna. He is shown in hussar uniform, a branch of light cavalry that became prominent during the Napoleonic Wars. He wears his Peninsular Medal earned for his service over the past four years.
The Portrait of Prince Metternich is a painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence of the Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich. Lawrence painted many European leaders involved in the alliance against Napoleon's French Empire.
The Duke of Richelieu is an 1818 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence of the French Prime Minister Armand Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu. Richelieu was a leading statesman in Restoration France serving twice as premiere during the reign of Louis XVIII, having previously spent many years in exile. It was painted during the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle.
George III is an 1809 portrait painting by the English artist Thomas Lawrence depicting the British monarch George III. It is an oil painting on canvas depicting the King in his robes for the State Opening of Parliament. It was commissioned by George as a gift for the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Henry Addington. George had reigned since 1760, but he was troubled by occasional bouts of mental instability. In 1810, shortly after celebrating the Golden Jubilee on the throne, George was overcome by a more lasting loss of control and his eldest son George was declared Prince Regent. The image by Lawrence continued to be used to represent the King throughout the remainder of his reign.
The Portrait of Prince Frederick, Duke of York, is a portrait painting of 1816 by the English artist Thomas Lawrence. It depicts Prince Frederick, Duke of York, the Commander in Chief of the British Army. A royal duke, he was the second son of George III and younger brother of the Prince Regent. From 1820 to his death in 1827 he was heir presumptive to the British throne.
Portrait of Maria II is an 1829 portrait painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence depicting the Portuguese queen Maria II. Lawrence was the President of the Royal Academy and Britain's leading portraitist. It was painted between 1828 and 1829 while the young Maria was in exile in England during the Liberal Wars in Portugal. Lawrence depicts her in a white dress and wearing a number of orders represented by stars and ribbons. It was commissioned by George IV for two hundred guineas. It was one of the last works completed by Lawrence before his death in early 1830. It remains in the Royal Collection.
Portrait of Napoleon II is an 1819 portrait painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence depicting Napoleon II, the young son of the deposed French Emperor Napoleon and his wife Marie Louise, a member of the Austrian royal family.
Portrait of Lady Maria Conyngham is an 1825 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence. It depicts Maria Conyingham, the younger of two daughters of the Anglo-Irish aristocrat Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham and his wife Elizabeth. Her mother was the mistress of George IV from 1820.
Portrait of Frederick William III of Prussia is portrait painting by the British artist Thomas Lawrence of Frederick William III, King of Prussia. Begun in 1814 during the Visit by the Allied Sovereigns to England, it was completed during the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1818.
Portrait of Archduke Charles is an 1819 portrait painting by the English artist Sir Thomas Lawrence of the Austrian general Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. A member of the House of Habsburg he was the younger brother of Francis I of Austria. During the Napoleonic Wars he has commanded Austrian forces in the Allied coalitions against the French Empire. He won a notable victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Aspern-Essling in 1809 before his defeat at the Battle of Wagram.