Plate K: Election and Coronation of Emperor Maximilian II 1612

This engraving from 1612, titled "Plate K: Election and Coronation of Emperor Maximilian II", depicts the grand ceremony of Maximilian II's coronation as Holy Roman Emperor. The anonymous artist skillfully captured the festive atmosphere with detailed illustrations of fireworks exploding in the sky, a bustling crowd, and a central stage where the emperor is likely being crowned. This artwork, held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offers a glimpse into the elaborate rituals and pageantry surrounding the coronation of a powerful European ruler during the early modern period.