Maximilian von Österreich
by Winterhalter
born 1832- executed 1867
His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Imperial . Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Prince of Hungary & Bohemia
love child
traveller
lover
botanist
Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian Navy
progressive
Viceroy of Lombardy - Venetia
Milanese liberal
adventurer
Emperor of Mexico
executed by a firing squad
last words VIVA MEXICO
&
lover of emeralds
His Own
His Own
legend says the emerald belonged to Cuauhtemoc -last Aztec King
Cartier set the Emerald with diamonds for Marjorie Merriewaether Post
(Smithsonian image)
.
They were just jealous!
ReplyDeleteAnd what about poor Carlota, Max's wife. I believe that she died mad from grief many years after Max.
ReplyDeleteI am presuming that this setting is from the Art Deco period and meant for a lady. But the emerald is magnificent, I must say.
ReplyDeleteDC, The emerald links are now in place with a few additions to the post- Marjorie Merriweather POST- who acquired the stone!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting history! Thanks for the links.
ReplyDeleteNow that's a ring.
ReplyDeleteI am always excited about anything that refers to Austria on a blog. You are on a Winterhalter roll. :) Gorgeous ring!
ReplyDeleteI am curious though where you got the name Maximiliaan van Oostenrijk, which I believe is a restaurant in Bruges named after Maximilian, Flemish or Dutch for "Maximilian von Österreich" (Maximilian of Austria). He was a true Habsburg, although rumors have it that he may not have been the son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria, but rather the son of Napoleon II. Perhaps the connection is due to him marrying Princess Charlotte of Belgium.
Sadly Maximilian and his wife Carlota (Charlotte) had a very short reign in Mexico.
Cheers,
Claudia
Claudia, that is what I get for translating! Yes I saw the restaurant entries. I wanted to convey a simple idea of him being a person- so I started with the name. It is interesting- yes my reference to him as a love child. there is that pervading idea that he was Napoleon's son II. He has such resemblance to his brothers that I wonder http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Franz_Joseph_Austria_with_Brothers.jpg
ReplyDeletethat Winterhalter painted so many of the royals. the paintings of his wife Charlotte-from childhood to her reign as Empress are beautiful. It seems Emperors, Kings, should listen to their wives more often-and they could happily live to a longer age. From my reading, he should have been happier studying botany- where it not for destiny and duty. Gaye
He was a total looser.
ReplyDeleteUlla, ha! just as I said, he should have listened to his woman!-but he did have that hunk of an emerald and I hope she consoled herself with it a little. xx- hope Berlin is fun-the photos are gorgeous. g.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting about names with the good old royals. He was babtized Ferdinand Maximilian Josef von Habsburg-Lothringen. In Mexico they called him Fernando Maximiliano José. What did his mother call him, Ferdl? I wonder if he had a slightly more normal childhood than Franz Josef since he was not in line for the throne.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, he most likely would have been much happier being a botanist. And yes, he should have listened to his wife.
Cheers,
Claudia