Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich 1864

This is Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s sketch of Kaiserin Elisabeth of Austria, made with graphite on paper. Winterhalter was a renowned portraitist, sought after by European royalty and aristocracy. Portraits of women in the 19th century were not just about likeness; they were loaded with messages about status, beauty, and virtue. Here, Elisabeth is depicted in a way that emphasizes her beauty and perhaps her regality. However, it does so without the grandiosity of other official portraits. Consider the weight of expectation on Elisabeth, and other royal women, to embody an ideal, to produce an heir, and to maintain the image of the monarchy. This sketch gives us a more intimate view, allowing us to contemplate Elisabeth's identity beyond her role. What does it mean to capture a fleeting moment of a woman who is forever immortalized by history?