While I Was Searching For Some Fan-art With Metternich In My Collection Not So Long Ago, I Suddenly Came

While I was searching for some fan-art with Metternich in my collection not so long ago, I suddenly came across these two sketches I’ve not shared on Tumblr before. Even though now I’m aware of some huge mistakes in their appearances (primarily Schwarzenberg’s one: since then I’ve seen a bunch of planchettes depicting Austrian soldiers and officers at the different stages of Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars which made me rethink a lot - especially his hair style), love the general meaning behind it all so far. ❤️

One day I’ll probably make an adequate redraw… However, that doesn’t stop me from posting the “original”!

Besides, they still look pretty cool and cinematic. 🎥✨

The concept itself came to me, when I was exploring Metternich and Schwarzenberg’s lives once again in search for a “common ground” - major milestones in the Napoleonic wars period which brought them closer, until they’ve started working hand in hand in practical terms. The most important one is, for sure, the war of the Fifth Coalition culminating in the battles of Wagram and Znaim.

Won’t go into details on this one: there’re many people out there who are much more familiar with the Austrian campaign of 1809 and it’s origins. I’m still a noob who has a lot - A LOT - to learn about (three volumes of Gill’s “Thunder on the Danube”… *looking respectfully with almost holly fear* 👁👁). However, the circumstance which interests me the most is that the events of the day brought back to the shores of the Danube two Austrian ambassadors - a military man and a professional diplomat. The military man discussed the matters of the Danube principalities and the Ottoman Empire with the Russian court in Saint-Petersburg: they had been waging war against Turks since 1806; and the diplomat… well, let’s say that after his mission the brilliant city of Paris took a special place in his heart~

Briefly speaking, Metternich’s struggles on his journey back, which started in May, were phenomenal since he had to travel during the war time in a state of a living “bargaining chip”, meanwhile Schwarzenberg almost missed Wagram itself because of the long detour he had to take on his way back to the Austrian empire. Still in the first days of July they were both present before emperor Franz (as well as Gentz’s inquisitive gaze and feather) - after that one of them went straight to the front line.

What came next, history says for itself. A series of defeats (Znaim being the fatal blow, since Wagram wasn’t that disastrous at all - it was a worthy showdown, even the French acknowledge this in their memoires), humiliating peace of Schönbrunn and the disgrace that finally overtook the country’s war party (since emperor Franz had never been a big fan of it all). Now the time had come for the pacification of Napoleon. It was also the time for the recently appointed chancellor and Austrian ambassador in Paris to shine. ✨

Despite all odds, it was certainly a new beginning - extraordinary one for Metternich, incredibly difficult and tedious one for Schwarzenberg. Nevertheless, it was for the greater good - for the sake of the Habsburg’s Empire. And I sincerely believe that this thought lifted the spirits of such men of service even in the darkest hours (until it’s too much for them to handle as it was in Schwarzenberg’s case). 🇦🇹

P.S.

These pair drawings actually made me think for the first time about how much “fun” it was for the Austrians with their predominantly white uniforms (by the way, the three-coloured combo - white, red and gold - is one of my favourites now, thank you, my dear obsession 🤍❤️💛) to participate in a serious combat, when the heavy artillery fire was unleashed from the both sides. Like, man, at what state were the coats of the soldiers and officers afterwards, I can’t even imagine… ☠️

Also, Schwarzenberg’s face says it all for him.

“Why am I, a professional military man who dreams about guns, glory and making my job right, that cursed to miss all the triumph aka Aspern and Essling and now have to witness one more epic failure as it was with Ulm and Austerlitz”.

At the meantime Metternich is just vibing. Mischievously, as always. 😌

Haven’t made full-fledged informative posts for a while but definitely want to continue sharing all the curious things I’m able to find through my endless researches on the Napoleonic era.

For example, I’m a big fan of finding out how exactly the handwritings of certain historical characters looked like. Recently I was able to discover a copy of marshal Blücher’s letter to Metternich which was written by him after the battle of Waterloo and now want to make a short compilation due to the occasion. :)

So, let’s start - as usual - with two historical characters I’m currently obsessed with: Schwarzenberg and Metternich! 🇦🇹

Here come the samples:

The first letter written by Schwarzenberg dates back to the summer of 1812. It is conducted in French (first part of it, actually, the second one is in German) and is directly connected with the participation of an Austrian auxiliary corps commanded by prince Karl himself during Napoleon’s campaign in Russia. This letter is one of many - m a n y - letters which Schwarzenberg sent his wife, Marie Anne (“Marianna” for all her loved ones as it was with Metternich’s wife - everybody in Vienna called Eleonora von Kaunitz-Rietberg “Laura” or “Laurel”) von Hohenfeld, practically anytime they were apart. You can actually see his usual tender address to her at the beginning of the ninth line - “ma Nany”. ❤️

As for Metternich’s handwriting, it comes from a single fragment of a letter (or some memoir, perhaps) written in German. It’s a pity that on a site of the auction there was only this small part… However, we can at least admire Metternich’s signature in all it’s flamboyant glory!

Klemens loved to strike directly at people’s hearts and his signature represents it in full measure, for sure. ✨

I’m also such a big fan of the way how the letter “z” looked in a handwritten form of German language, it’s just ah! Magnificent! Besides, it closely resembles the handwritten form of the same letter in Russian - “з” - that I find fascinating. :)

(Moreover, if you are suddenly curious about Schwarzenberg’s signature, I can provide!

You are welcome~)

Now we can talk about the main piece of cake - Blücher‘s letter written in German! No doubt, there was a lot to describe after such a hard-fought battle. 😅

You can examine marshal’s signature as well. I’ll leave all the judgements to you, my dear readers!

And the man who closes the selection for today is the victor at Waterloo himself - here’s a later sample of Arthur Wellesley’s handwriting which will serve us as a cherry on top of the Austro-Prussian cake. 🇬🇧

Thank you for your attention as always! 💗

One day I will decide on the design of his hairstyle. But not today.

*at the battle of Waterloo*

Wellington: I don’t think we can mansplain, manipulate or malewife our way out of it this time.

Blücher, cracking his knuckles: Manslaughter it is.

Resaah hati ini tanpanyaaaa🎵🎶

A small sketch to the legend of Peter Stewart Ney

Personally, I do not believe in this legend. I wrote an article explaining why, but I can't translate it into English yet.