Author Topic: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family  (Read 292956 times)

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Offline CountessKate

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #210 on: June 08, 2011, 05:08:03 AM »
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Had Maria Theresa lived long enough into the late 1780s/early 1790s, perhaps she would've understood that it wasn't such a bad thing (not doing what she wanted all the time as well as working for Austrian interests--whether perceived or actual), judging from what happened in the end to both Marie Antoinette and Maria Carolina. 

Given that almost every historian and biographer of Maria Theresa up to the present day has gone along with her view of Maria Amalia as practically deranged because of her self-willed opposition to her mother, I think it unlikely that Maria Theresa herself would have changed her views with regard to this particular daughter.  After all, Marie Antoinette was more obviously dutiful but Maria Theresa knew quite well her daughter lied to her about her extravagance and promotion of friends, which she greatly disapproved of, and she obviously had deep concerns about her future.  And Maria Carolina was in the end exiled from Naples because her allies put pressure on her husband to do this - and he wasn't sufficiently interested enough to stand up for her.  He was quite happy to let the Austrians dictate his policies after she was gone, though, so looking at it from Maria Theresa's often-expressed point of view, Maria Carolina would have brought her problems on herself by not being sufficiently deferential to her husband and keeping him happy - but Austrian interests would have been served.  And it's not as if Parma was able to stand up to Napoleon and keep going on its own - and Maria Amalia ended as an exile as well.  I feel that if Maria Theresa had lived to see her daughters' fates, she may well have felt that if they'd only done what she'd told them, they might have averted many of their disasters. 

Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #211 on: June 08, 2011, 05:40:11 AM »
Given that almost every historian and biographer of Maria Theresa up to the present day has gone along with her view of Maria Amalia as practically deranged because of her self-willed opposition to her mother, I think it unlikely that Maria Theresa herself would have changed her views with regard to this particular daughter.  

I think at the very least, if she was unbiased, she would've acknowledged that her daughter did one thing right, Maria Amalia knew how to keep her people's affections. Indeed,  Parma couldn't cope with the French invasion (only because it lacked the manpower to do so), but both Ferdinand and Maria Amalia were loved by their people. It was only the French that "ruined" their rule. Had the French Revolution been nipped in the bud, no French invasion of Italy. In all likelihood both Ferdinand and Parma would've been left in peace and could not have been poisoned (as Ferdinand was suspected to be) and in Maria Amalia's case, exiled. Parma had a lot of rebels after 1802 and that clearly showed the people identified with their sovereigns after both were lost to them.  

Like you, I kind of doubt that MT would acknowledge such, for she was such a biased person....  because she didn't seem to like Maria Amalia much (just like she seem didnt like her other daughter Maria Anna). If she never mentioned Maria Anna's qualities (considerable talents and high intelligence) but only the latter's illnesses, there's a strong likelihood that she would not also acknowledge whatever Maria Amalia did right!

My main issue with Maria Theresa's biographers (and indeed most authors who had written about  Maria Amalia in passing, say, at a biography of Marie Antoinette or Maria Carolina) is that they didn't bother to cover the real details of Maria Amalia's life in Parma. Their details/information on her were also sorely lacking, not only in substance, but in quantity (most of them only cover up to Du Tillot and De Llano and the reconciliation but Maria Amalia was in Parma for 33 years, and up to 1773 was only 4 years). Some are just plain lies or mere inferences.  Hopefully, that will be changed a few years from now.  :)  Not that she was perfect, far from it, but she did much better than people supposed and indeed, most of her siblings. Yes, I have read at certain forums that Maria Amalia went "insane" or similar, it's funny that people picked up such notions from such biased (or should I say irresponsible? in the sense that they didn't bother to research well enough)  authors!

After all, Marie Antoinette was more obviously dutiful but Maria Theresa knew quite well her daughter lied to her about her extravagance and promotion of friends, which she greatly disapproved of, and she obviously had deep concerns about her future.  And Maria Carolina was in the end exiled from Naples because her allies put pressure on her husband to do this - and he wasn't sufficiently interested enough to stand up for her.  He was quite happy to let the Austrians dictate his policies after she was gone, though, so looking at it from Maria Theresa's often-expressed point of view, Maria Carolina would have brought her problems on herself by not being sufficiently deferential to her husband and keeping him happy - but Austrian interests would have been served.  And it's not as if Parma was able to stand up to Napoleon and keep going on its own - and Maria Amalia ended as an exile as well.  I feel that if Maria Theresa had lived to see her daughters' fates, she may well have felt that if they'd only done what she'd told them, they might have averted many of their disasters.  

I agree in case of Marie Antoinette. Although particular pieces of her advice were quite self-serving, Maria Theresa was right about warning MA about being extravagant and interfering in court appointments and patronages, etc. (something which MA didn't know anything about but dabbled nevertheless to satisfy her "vanity" of being "powerful").  I haven't read much about her advice to Maria Carolina but as she preached submission/pleasing her husband to Maria Amalia, I guess she had done the same with MC. I also agree with what you wrote about MT wanting MC to be sufficiently deferential to Ferdinand.  But she was likely also to be worried to a considerable degree about MC's low popularity with the Neapolitans, and indeed that was one of the reasons why the Jacobins were able to take control of Naples... something that never happened to Parma (there were Jacobins there but were largely ignored by the people when they portrayed Maria Amalia - prominently proclaimed as the sister of the "infamous" Marie Antoinette of France and therefore cut from the same cloth - as a Messalina).  
« Last Edit: June 08, 2011, 06:10:49 AM by prinzheinelgirl »
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Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #212 on: June 14, 2011, 11:07:12 PM »
Some financial information on the family:

Last will of Franz Stephan (on the establishment of the Family Fund):

"What We hereby reserve to Ourselves is, as mentioned in the preceding, the right to dispose freely of such funds as We determine to dedicate to the better support and maintenance in a manner appropriate to their station of Our children and issue. (...) And likewise We transfer to this fund the maintenance of Our family; thus it shall in future no more be a burden on the State other than in those cases where this is customary for the sake of a dowry or the fitting out of Our House."

Franz Stephan left a private fortune of 18,000,000 guldens in 1765 (aside from 2,000,000 florins in Tuscany). It would've been worth approximately £3,860,000,000 today.  I've also read that part of the money, as agreed by Maria Theresa and Joseph II, was used to lower state debt and to pay for the establishment of the remaining archdukes and archduchesses (dowries, other wedding expenses, etc.). So I wonder why Marie Antoinette's dowry was not paid then? Louis XVIII wrote Emperor Franz I/II much later on that since that was the case, the dowry should be paid directly to MA's daughter, Marie-Therese-Charlotte of France, who was set to get married herself.  

Maria Theresa's annual allocation from the state was 150,000 guldens paid for by the Privy Chamber Payments Office. Plus another 8,000 paid every first of the month and 4,000 paid every e 15th of the month as well. That would be 294,000 guldens a year for her private expenses. Prince Charles of Lorraine had an annual allowance of 150,000, the highest allocation after Maria Theresa.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2011, 11:16:08 PM by prinzheinelgirl »
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Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #213 on: June 14, 2011, 11:32:31 PM »
I came across some information on the 4 eldest daughters of Maria Theresia and Franz Stephan, especially on  Maria Elisabeth (1737-40) and Maria Carolina (1740-41), who died early....

==========


Maria Elisabeth  was a cheerful and lively girl, the joy of her grandfather Emperor Charles VI.  He liked playing with his "Spring Waltz". When the family was in Laxenburg on the 7th June 1740, Maria Elisabeth suddenly started to  vomit. Throughout the day, stomach cramps and vomiting alternated.

On the same evening at nine clock, Maria Elisabeth, aged 3,  died  in the arms of her father Franz Stephan. He wrote about the death of his daughter: "At eight clock, they called me and handed me a note from the doctor, from which I took, 'It is time that you come to carry away your wife, because the child will not live long'. A little confused I went away and when I arrived, my wife was quite dissolved in tears. I took her by the hand and led her to her apartments. Then I went back to the patient. She fell back and died in my arms."

========

Maria Anna was the second child of Maria Theresa.  She was later called "Marianna" or "Mariandl". Little is known about her first two years of life. When her brother Joseph on 13 March 1741 came to the world, her older sister Maria Elizabeth and her younger sister Maria Carolina, already passed away. From then on it was all about the long-awaited successor to the throne. Marianna was hardly noticed. There were only two great performances that they put the child in the immediate center of attention. These were the two coronations of Maria Theresia as Queen of Hungary in 1741 and Queen of Bohemia in 1743.

In the two subsequent years by two other highly successful competitors for her mother's affections: Maria Christina (Mimi) and Maria Elizabeth (Liesl). Marianna had a soft body and a nice hands, but her face was soon hard and angular. She saw herself as very similar to her  father, who was generally described as good-looking man.

She was versatile (multi-talented), her dancing was also to above-average in skill. In the studies, she was eager and more focused than most of their siblings. Particularly striking was her phenomenal memory .

In the ever-growing crowd of children, there were rivalries and taunts. Their prime target was Marianna. In the competition for the love of their mother Marianna always drew short.   Joseph had a special position because he was the heir, but also against Mimi and Liesl Marianna she wasn't loved as much. Liesl was indeed flirtatious and superficial, but so (unearthly/superlatively?) beautiful that everyone was fascinated by her.

Mimi's appearance was not so overwhelming, but it was cute and cuddly, and endowed with feminine wiles. The mother was so besotted with her, that Mimi virtually got away with anything, what with the others were strictly prohibited.

Marianna from the third year of her life -  after the birth of his brother Joseph - what the  Viennese called an "invalid"" onwards. There was no winter without coughing. Maria Theresa hardly mentioned her advantages/talents in her correspondence, but always her physical ailments.

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On 12th January 1740 , just five days after the death of the eldest child Maria Elisabeth, Maria Theresa brought her third child, Maria Carolina, into the world. But this child's life was not long. At 12 months old, her little Highness suddenly and unexpectedly (on 24 January 1741) had an illness. About noon the following day, Maria Carolina died. During the autopsy of the corpse, there was none found either in the head or something within the body, which can cause a sudden death. In her stomach, there was only a little nurse's milk.

The cause: Lack of vitamin D

As children's seizures or convulsions were referred to then cramping (convulsive) seizures in children. It is an overexcitability of the nervous system caused by the disturbance of calcium and phosphorus metabolism due to a lack of vitamin D.

The other siblings had better luck.

The small children in that time were always wrapped securely and protected from light and sun as possible, suffered a lot because of this  deficiency. In the following years, three more children suffered from convulsions. Favorite daughter, Maria Christina, got the disease - also accompanied by fever - at the age of seven. Archduke Ferdinand became ill in May 1755 in the age of one year, but survived the convulsions rapidly. Months later, it hit eight-year Leopold. They wrote his complaints, however, a repletion, that plethora, and overloading of the stomach. He also got lucky. The symptoms disappeared after a few days.

=========

On the anniversary of their mother, 13 May 1742,  Maria Christina, known as Mimi, was born. Within the family, she was noted for her beauty and intelligence.

Like all children of Maria Theresa,  Mimi was brought up very religiously. Daily morning and evening prayers had Mimi kneeling, confession and communion were prescribed at least once a month and fasting was strictly adhered to. Also, learning  languages was important for the children. In Italian and French Marie Christine made great progress. In music, Mimi showed no special talent, but she had talent for drawing and painting.

From childhood, Marie Christine gained the full affection of their mother. It was criticized by Maria Theresia much less harshly and (less) insultingly than her siblings: "... I'm quite happy with your letters, but your spelling is too flighty. It must be uniform and not be in a hurry in writing, you (have) to look how the beginning is very different from the end. "

At 18, Marie Christine got her own household under the direction of the High Steward, Count Losy Losynthal. About this time began her enthusiastic  friendship with Isabella of Parma, the first wife of Joseph.

« Last Edit: June 14, 2011, 11:40:11 PM by prinzheinelgirl »
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Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #214 on: June 15, 2011, 04:26:32 AM »
Sorry, the post above on the non-payment (?) of Marie Antoinette's dowry should be:  Louis XVIII reminded Emperor Franz I/II that since Marie Antoinette's dowry hasn't been paid  back to France, the amount should go to directly to (her daughter) Marie-Therese-Charlotte, who was in Vienna....Franz was incensed at such a reminder, and said Marie-Therese was being treated properly, like the princess that she was, like the archduchesses (his sisters).... Why should MA's dowry be paid back to France?
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Offline CountessKate

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #215 on: June 15, 2011, 09:45:41 AM »
Sorry, the post above on the non-payment (?) of Marie Antoinette's dowry should be:  Louis XVIII reminded Emperor Franz I/II that since Marie Antoinette's dowry hasn't been paid  back to France, the amount should go to directly to (her daughter) Marie-Therese-Charlotte, who was in Vienna....Franz was incensed at such a reminder, and said Marie-Therese was being treated properly, like the princess that she was, like the archduchesses (his sisters).... Why should MA's dowry be paid back to France?

There is an extract from Ernest Daudet's book ' Madame Royale, daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette: her youth and marriage' (http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/ernest-daudet/madame-royale-daughter-of-louis-xvi-and-marie-antoinette-her-youth-and-marriag-hci/page-13-madame-royale-daughter-of-louis-xvi-and-marie-antoinette-her-youth-and-marriag-hci.shtml) which shows this refers to a nasty quarrel between Louis XVIII and Franz I/II about Madame Royale's money, and the French assertion that Marie Antoinette's dowry had not been paid, although the Austrians actually had a receipt (the French said it was a forgery).  One has to say that the relationship between the Bourbons and Habsburgs were pretty dismal at that point, but as far as the dowry went, it looks like it had been paid as non-payment had not come up before.

Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #216 on: June 15, 2011, 09:18:56 PM »
There is an extract from Ernest Daudet's book ' Madame Royale, daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette: her youth and marriage' (http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/ernest-daudet/madame-royale-daughter-of-louis-xvi-and-marie-antoinette-her-youth-and-marriag-hci/page-13-madame-royale-daughter-of-louis-xvi-and-marie-antoinette-her-youth-and-marriag-hci.shtml) which shows this refers to a nasty quarrel between Louis XVIII and Franz I/II about Madame Royale's money, and the French assertion that Marie Antoinette's dowry had not been paid, although the Austrians actually had a receipt (the French said it was a forgery).  One has to say that the relationship between the Bourbons and Habsburgs were pretty dismal at that point, but as far as the dowry went, it looks like it had been paid as non-payment had not come up before.

Thanks for the link, CountessKate.

I agree that the dowry of Marie Antoinette was seemingly paid for. Austria was still struggling with the costs of the Seven Years War but Franz Stephan's legacy, the Family Fund, was more than sufficient to pay for it. It also appears that there was no complaints about any non-payment on the dowries of both Maria Carolina and Maria Amalia, so it would just be so inconsistent if Marie Antoinette's alone wasn't paid for. Joseph II was being a bit stingy about Marie Antoinette's wedding expenses, wanting to trim down her cortege on the way to France, but a dowry was an essential thing to pay.
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Eric_Lowe

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #217 on: June 16, 2011, 11:52:54 AM »
It was written that Sisi's famous ruby parure once part of Marie Antoinette's dowry that was returned to Vienna.I wonder if it was sold back or just returned as part of the agreement ?

Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #218 on: June 16, 2011, 09:00:51 PM »
Marie Antoinette sent her personal jewels, the ones she brought from Austria and part of her dowry, to Brussels (Mimi in particular) for safekeeping in 1791. It seems she sent over quite a sizeable amount of money as well (I wonder where she got it, the family almost had no money by then; Fersen had to mortgage his estates to pay for their escape). Since the jewels were part of her dowry, it was her personal property.  Mimi sent the money and jewels to Vienna so I guess that's how the ruby parure came to Sisi's possession later on. I think dowries were given back to either the princess (once widowed) or her family (if the princess pre-deceased her hsuband).
« Last Edit: June 16, 2011, 09:03:01 PM by prinzheinelgirl »
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Offline CountessKate

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #219 on: June 17, 2011, 09:27:45 AM »
Marie Antoinette sent her personal jewels, the ones she brought from Austria and part of her dowry, to Brussels (Mimi in particular) for safekeeping in 1791. It seems she sent over quite a sizeable amount of money as well (I wonder where she got it, the family almost had no money by then; Fersen had to mortgage his estates to pay for their escape). Since the jewels were part of her dowry, it was her personal property.  Mimi sent the money and jewels to Vienna so I guess that's how the ruby parure came to Sisi's possession later on. I think dowries were given back to either the princess (once widowed) or her family (if the princess pre-deceased her hsuband).
Dowries were not returned as such but provisions were made in elaborate contracts for the maintenance of royal widows, and often for the disposition of their property should they die before their husbands (much of their personal possessions were traditionally given to their senior ladies in waiting or gentlemen attendants as part of their salaries in the form of perquisites or 'perks' of the job both at the time of service and on the death of the royal mistress.  That is why Joseph II had to ask his daughter's governess for the child's dressing gown as a sentimental keepsake when she died, as it would have been part of the governess's perks, and why so few clothes etc. were kept by royal women until almost the 20th century).  Marie Antoinette's legal rights to the disposition of her jewels would have been controlled by the provisions of her marriage contract (and for women were often at the mercy of what their husbands required) but basically the circumstances meant that her treatment of the jewels and whatever cash she had as her own property were effectively respected by her Austrian and French families.

Although Franz did not show himself to be particularly generous with the remaining Bourbon family, I have to say it was an infernal cheek of Louis XVIII/his followers to carp about the dowry of Marie Antoinette which had never previously been raised as an issue and frankly seems more like a bit of private extortion in an attempt to gain more from the Habsburgs.  Only if the dowry had not been paid, would the Habsburgs have actually been in a position where they owed the Bourbons money - otherwise the Bourbons would have been responsible for the maintenance of Marie Antoinette's daughter who was being supported by Austria, and thus the Habsburgs were owed money.   But basically everyone seems to have behaved very badly about this.

Offline CountessKate

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #220 on: June 18, 2011, 05:34:05 AM »
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It seems she sent over quite a sizeable amount of money as well (I wonder where she got it, the family almost had no money by then; Fersen had to mortgage his estates to pay for their escape).

According to Bernard Morel, in his huge book on 'The French Crown Jewels', Marie Antoinette's hairdresser Leonard made two journeys with her jewellery, one to London to sell various items and raise money for the royal couple; it might be the proceeds from this sale which eventually reached Brussels when Leonard took Marie Antoinette's remaining jewels to Marie Christine.

Quote
Mimi sent the money and jewels to Vienna so I guess that's how the ruby parure came to Sisi's possession later on.

Morel states that when Marie Therese arrived at Vienna, she sold the ruby and diamond parure to the Emperor Franz, at the time of her marriage to her cousin the Duc d'Angouleme in 1799 (the parure included items from the French crown jewels which under the old regime were not Marie Antoinette's to dispose of; but possession is nine-tenths of the law, especially in this situation).   The parure was completely altered in 1854 at the time of Franz-Joseph's marriage to Elisabeth of Bavaria and went with the Habsburgs into exile in 1918.  It was subsequently either sold or disappeared amongst the jewels which were lost in the swindle practiced upon the imperial couple.

Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #221 on: June 18, 2011, 06:42:35 AM »

Dowries were not returned as such but provisions were made in elaborate contracts for the maintenance of royal widows, and often for the disposition of their property should they die before their husbands (much of their personal possessions were traditionally given to their senior ladies in waiting or gentlemen attendants as part of their salaries in the form of perquisites or 'perks' of the job both at the time of service and on the death of the royal mistress.  That is why Joseph II had to ask his daughter's governess for the child's dressing gown as a sentimental keepsake when she died, as it would have been part of the governess's perks, and why so few clothes etc. were kept by royal women until almost the 20th century).  Marie Antoinette's legal rights to the disposition of her jewels would have been controlled by the provisions of her marriage contract (and for women were often at the mercy of what their husbands required) but basically the circumstances meant that her treatment of the jewels and whatever cash she had as her own property were effectively respected by her Austrian and French families.


Thank you. I had the impression that (in general) dowries were returned either to the princess or her family.  Because Maria Amalia asked for hers (which was generally acknowledged as a rightful claim) from her Spanish-in-laws and from her son Louis.  I think Ferdinand  (later on) made a will/document about it being returned to her (he was concerned about her welfare once he was gone, and long before the French invasion of Italy when money wasn't as plentiful as before; she was certainly a spendthrift with money so he most likely thought she needed more than a widow's income). I also read that Prince Anthony of Saxony paid back the remaining dowry (I guess the amount was prorated?) of his deceased first wife, Maria Carolina of Savoy, to her family. I guess it is a case-to-case basis, then, and largely with the the husbands deciding on it (if not in originally stated in the marriage contract).  


According to Bernard Morel, in his huge book on 'The French Crown Jewels', Marie Antoinette's hairdresser Leonard made two journeys with her jewellery, one to London to sell various items and raise money for the royal couple; it might be the proceeds from this sale which eventually reached Brussels when Leonard took Marie Antoinette's remaining jewels to Marie Christine.


Again, thank you. That certainly clear things up! Although poor Fersen was never seemed to have been reimbursed, in part or in full, of what he spent for Marie Antoinette and her family (he certainly tried to claim it from various courts).  MA certainly should've made some provision for it later on, she had the money!

Morel states that when Marie Therese arrived at Vienna, she sold the ruby and diamond parure to the Emperor Franz, at the time of her marriage to her cousin the Duc d'Angouleme in 1799 (the parure included items from the French crown jewels which under the old regime were not Marie Antoinette's to dispose of; but possession is nine-tenths of the law, especially in this situation).  

Marie Therese selling the ruby and diamond parure to her relatives is another proof that the Habsburgs dealt with the money and jewels honestly; it seems everything was accounted for.....I agree with the last phrase (possession is 9/10 of the law, especially in this situation)... but I can't help but think it was still not right move..... Marie Antoinette claimed some things that were not rightfully hers!   And I thought she was above such things even if she was a spendthrift!  I think it was both desperation and anger that made her do it!

  
« Last Edit: June 18, 2011, 07:12:04 AM by prinzheinelgirl »
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Offline prinzheinelgirl

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #222 on: June 24, 2011, 07:17:23 AM »
Here is a link to two portraits (perhaps) of Maria Theresa and her sister Maria Anna by Antoine Pesne:

http://www.artvalue.com/auctionresult--pesne-antoine-1683-1757-france-1-portrait-of-a-princess-proba-1868171.htm

Can someone please verify or deduce if said portraits were indeed them?
« Last Edit: June 24, 2011, 07:20:53 AM by prinzheinelgirl »
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Offline CountessKate

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #223 on: June 24, 2011, 08:43:17 AM »
They're nice portraits, and generally seem to be of the right period, but there's nothing I can see which suggests that they are Maria Theresa and Maria Anna.  As far as I know, Pesne never painted at the court in Vienna and I don't know of other well-known Austrian royal or noble portraits in his oeuvre.  He was born in France, studied in Italy between 1705 and 1710, and was summoned to Berlin in 1710 by Frederick I who had become interested in him due to a portrait he had executed of the Prussian ambassador in Venice.  Pesne stayed in Berlin mostly until his death in 1757 - I'm not aware that he made any voyages subsequently to Austria.  The most likely time at which he could have been in Vienna long enough to paint two portraits was in 1710, on his way to Berlin from Italy, and Maria Theresa and Maria Anna were not yet born, nor was their father in Vienna, but in Spain.  I don't know how possible it is that the portraits could be the daughters of the current Emperor, Joseph I, the Archduchesses Maria Josepha and Maria Amalia; I would have thought Pesne wasn't well enough known at the time to have been requested to paint such distinguished sitters.  Overall, it seems a bit of a stretch that these are really Maria Theresa and Maria Anna if they are genuinely Pesne portraits. 

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Re: Empress Maria Theresa and her large family
« Reply #224 on: June 26, 2011, 05:26:11 AM »
Thank you very much.  I'm not sure  if the features of said sitters correspond to Maria Theresa's and Maria Anna's.  It is indeed very remote possibility and the only thing I can think of about Antoine Pesne's connection to Vienna was that King Frederick I of Prussia was quite close Emperor Charles VI.
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