Emperor Franz Joseph I as a child, depiction of the two-year-old Archduke with play horse 1832

Josef Kriehuber made this watercolor and pencil portrait of Emperor Franz Joseph I as a child, depicting the two-year-old Archduke with a toy horse. Here, the scion of the Habsburg dynasty is represented in an informal domestic setting, an unusual choice considering the formal role he was expected to fulfill. Kriehuber's portrait presents the Archduke as a normal child, a clear break from traditional depictions of royalty as symbols of power and authority. Produced in Austria during the Biedermeier period, the image reflects the era's emphasis on domesticity and the private sphere, even for those in positions of power. But the creation of this image also acknowledges an emerging cult of celebrity, one in which the public felt entitled to a more intimate view of its leaders. Historians might examine family papers and the popular press of the time to understand the changing relationship between the Austrian monarchy and its subjects. Understanding the context helps us to interpret the subtle ways that art reflects shifting social expectations.