Re-upload In Hope That Somebody Is Going To Notice And Appreciate Someones Hard Work.

Re-upload in hope that somebody is going to notice and appreciate someone’s hard work.

A comics illustrating specific passage from Metternich’s dual biography with Wilhelmina, Duchess of Sagan.

Metternich's picture is now on public sale at Artaria in the Kohlmarkt, between portraits of Schwarzenberg and of Wellington. Her father is quite a hero, Marie [the eldest child of Klemens and his first wife Eleonore] writes, adding, "Everybody is buying it, and a huge crowd of people are always standing in front of this window." It is not a terribly good likeness; there is a leer in the right eye and Metternich when he sees it declares, "Next time I have my portrait made, it will be without any eyes at all."

Oh, I wanted to read this book one day, naturally, but it seems I’m good without it for now! 😂

I’ve still got plenty of other sources and materials to go through (besides, right now I’m more focused on reading classical literature, since I haven’t had an urge this strong in a long time), so yeeeeah.

However, it would be fun to make full-length reviews on some history books in the future, if I’m able to!

Especially books of that kind. ;)

My newest read. @count-lero, are you familiar with this one?

Oh well, it seems I don’t have any more strength for anything related to social networks aside from occasional check-ups every now and then.

I still draw things but uploading them also takes weeks and months, so it slowly becomes a vicious circle…

So, without any further explanations comes a tarot card featuring Metternich I finished more recently, since every online Tarot-calculator seems to agree with the majority of people - contemporaries, historians and Heaven itself - on the matter of his demon-hood. 😈

(It has a renown reference at it’s basis, so there’s a deeper meaning of some sort…)

And it’s accompanied by a small postscript with an Austrian historian Viktor Bibl who wrote one of the most critical works about Klemens and his deeds.

Have I read it personally? Or at least have started familiarising myself with it?

Of course not!

My German is too poor for such epic ventures, and I constantly struggle with reading in general but the ginormous e-library and wishful thinking are always there, ehem.

Okay, I guess, this artwork (drawing practice?) can be present here as well. 😮‍💨

For some reason I haven’t tried to depict Wellington and Castlereagh for 2 years and a half. Last August something made me to do it, however I was able to finish the art only recently.

Still can’t make myself draw someone less popular from the British side of the Napoleonic era. Hopefully, this situation is going to change one day…

At least, the finishing process was very fun! I’m slowly rewatching “Sharpe’s rifles” 5 years after the first viewing and can’t get enough of what I’m seeing, friendly speaking. X)

Like, I feel quite positive about the books and the show itself, even though I may get critique for that. Probably, rightfully. 😗

The Imperial and Royal Austrian Family, 1836. From left to right: Archduke Franz Karl, Archduke Maximilian (future Emperor of Mexico), Archduke Karl Ludwig, Archduchess Sophie (née Princess of Bavaria), Archduchess Maria Anna, Archduke Franz Josef (future Emperor of Austria), Archduke Karl, Empress Caroline Auguste (née Princess of Bavaria), Archduke Ludwig, Empress Maria Anna (née Princess of Savoy), Emperor Ferdinand I, Archduke Johann, Archduke Josef Anton, Archduke Rainer. In the back there is a portrait of the late Emperor Franz I.

Via Österreich Nationalbibliothek

The session of plenipotentiaries that never happened,

Or The tale of how I rediscovered that one lithography of Isabey’s famous painting in extremely high resolution and went through a total recall, so that everybody could suffer (myself including) ⭐️

The arrival of the Duke of Wellington had not only affected Vienna's diplomatic activity and social calendar; it was also posing a problem to the painter Jean-Baptiste Isabey, who was trying to capture the congress on canvas. He had been working for some time, and he had finally found a way to balance all the strong personalities, many of them patrons, into one single painting, and yet not offend national sensibilities or fragile egos.

The painting, which depicted the delegates gathered in a conference room, turned out to be a compromise in the best spirit of Vienna diplomacy.

Metternich, the president of the Congress, draws the eye, as the only standing figure in the foreground.

Castlereagh, though, commands the center, sitting with his legs gracefully crossed and elbow resting on the table.

The light shining through the window, however, falls onto Talleyrand, sitting across the table with his dress sword at his side. An empty chair on both his right and left make him further stand out, as do the nearby figures who look to him, just as many of the smaller powers had sought his leadership the last few months.

As Isabey was putting the finishing touches to his composition, he had to figure out what to do about the fact that the Duke of Wellington was now also in town. Starting over was out of the question. Omitting a man of his stature was equally impossible. Yet it was not easy to incorporate him into a canvas on which all the best places had already been taken. The painter's solution was simple and elegant: why not make the painting commemorate the Duke of Wellington's arrival in Vienna?

That way, the duke could simply be inserted on the far left side of the painting, without any insult to his position. As for the duke's reluctance to be painted from a side angle (he was self-conscious about his nose), Isabey had overcome that with a well-targeted compliment: didn't Wellington look like the handsome and chivalric Henry IV? Pleased with this comparison, Wellington accepted, joking that Isabey was a "good enough diplomat to take part in the Congress".

The painter also had to apply his finesse to convince Humboldt to enter the studio. The Prussian ambassador hated to have his portrait made, and, sure enough, he first declined, claiming that he had "too ugly a face ever to spend a penny" on a portrait. With this statement, Isabey saw his opportunity and emphasized that he would not "ask the slightest recompense for the pleasant trouble I am going to take". Isabey only wanted "the favor of a few sittings".

"Oh, is that all?" Humboldt quickly came around when he realized it would not cost him anything. "You can have as many sittings as you like".

Later, many congratulated Isabey on his portrait, particularly the fine job with Humboldt. The Prussian did not pay anything, as agreed, and Isabey got his revenge, Humboldt joked, by painting "an excellent likeness of me".

Few could complain of the treatment received from Isabey's flattering brush. This famous painting of the Congress of Vienna was pleasing to all, though typical of this peace conference, the scene was purely imaginary. The group of twenty-three delegates had never met in exactly this way before. Isabey had painted the portraits of each figure individually, and then later assembled the whole group together.

And so, symbolically, this simulated image would commemorate a congress that never was.

After that spectacular depiction of historical context surrounding Isabey’s magnificent canvas by David King few things are left to be added. I would simply love to highlight some other figures of utmost importance for the diplomatic life of that illustrious historical period - there are

Karl August von Hardenberg, Prime Minister of Prussia at the time;

Herren Wacken and Friedrich von Gentz, two Secretaries who were responsible for the protocols of the most important Congress' meetings;

count Karl Vasilyevich Nesselrode, a Russian-German diplomat, who became state chancellor of the Russian Empire in 1816;

prince Andrey (Andrew) Kirillovich Razumovsky, an extremely wealthy Russian aristocrat and diplomat, for whom Vienna was like his second home;

and we shouldn’t (or rather can’t) forget about general Charles Stewart-Vane, Castlereagh’s younger brother who definitely knew how to throw an unforgettable party, so refined aristocratic society could discuss his wild adventures at their fashionable salon meetings day and night. ✨

P.S.

Perhaps, there should be more posts with other details of the lithograph as well as Isabey’s original canvas, I’ll just need some time and motivation for that. 👌