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| Self Portrait, Maria Christine, Archduchess of Austria (1742-98). Oil on canvas, 1776. Kunsthistorisches Museum or Schönbrunn Palace. |
Maria Christine was the second eldest daughter of Maria Theresa, and was often noted as the empress' favorite daughter. Known as Mimi to the family, she grew up with a keen passion for fine arts, and developed her own skills in the art of drawing and painting. Her taste for the arts would follow her through adulthood, and she was fortunate enough to share this love with her husband, Albert of Saxony.
Her marriage also struck a sore note with her other siblings, as she selected her own husband. Maria Theresa had many designs for her children, and arranging marriages was a priority. The first choice for the archduchess was Prince Benedetto of Savoy, but her preferred prince was Albert of Saxony. She may have pulled her favorite daughter card, or perhaps the timing of her entreaties to her mother pulled heart strings (shortly after her fathers' death). One account mentions the wedding celebrated with black decor, as it was the morning period after the death of Francis I. Others mention the effort Maria Theresa put forth to make the celebration a happy one, in such a sad time, particularly for the empress.
Albert, who was four years her senior, and took the title Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. By 1780 they were governors of the Netherlands, only to move to move back to Vienna in 1792. The couple's passion for art led them to own a great art collection which is now housed at the Albertina Museum in Vienna. We are fortunate that in 1816, Albert added a bit to his will about the collection, naming [the collection] an "inalienable Habsburg family inheritance."
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| Alexandre Roslin, Archduchess Marie Christine, 1778. Albertina, Vienna (on permanent loan from the Austrian National Library, Vienna) |
Her marriage also struck a sore note with her other siblings, as she selected her own husband. Maria Theresa had many designs for her children, and arranging marriages was a priority. The first choice for the archduchess was Prince Benedetto of Savoy, but her preferred prince was Albert of Saxony. She may have pulled her favorite daughter card, or perhaps the timing of her entreaties to her mother pulled heart strings (shortly after her fathers' death). One account mentions the wedding celebrated with black decor, as it was the morning period after the death of Francis I. Others mention the effort Maria Theresa put forth to make the celebration a happy one, in such a sad time, particularly for the empress.
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| Anonymous, Albert of Saxe-Teschen, 1777. Albertina, Vienna. |
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| Rococo Room at Albertina Museum, Vienna. Photograph by Anna Blau. |
