Ruiterbeeld van Jozef II 1824 - 1850

Joseph Glanz created this print, "Ruiterbeeld van Jozef II," sometime between the late 18th and mid-19th century. It depicts a statue of Emperor Joseph II mounted on horseback in Vienna. This image offers a window into the visual language of power and remembrance in the Habsburg Empire. Equestrian statues like this one were not just monuments, they were carefully constructed symbols intended to project an image of strength, authority, and imperial legitimacy. How did Joseph II see himself? Joseph II was known as an "enlightened despot." His reforms challenged the established social order. The statue, and Glanz's print of it, serve as powerful reminders of the complex and often contradictory nature of power, caught between the desire for progress and the need to maintain control. It invites us to reflect on the legacy of the past and its continuing relevance in shaping the present.