Oval portrait of Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Plate: 16 9/16 × 12 5/16 in. (42.1 × 31.3 cm) Sheet: 21 1/4 × 15 13/16 in. (53.9 × 40.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry Shaw Newman, 1941
Accession Number
41.97.492
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant oval portrait print depicts Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1797–1870), who ruled from 1824 1859 during a turbulent era of European reform and revolution. Created in 1833 through a collaborative effort involving artists Luigi Bardi, Eduard Eich, and Paolo Toschi—with Leopold II possibly contributing or overseeing—the work captures the Grand Duke in formal attire, embodying the regal authority of Habsburg Tuscany. As a ruler known for progressive policies like abolishing the death penalty and promoting infrastructure, Leopold's image reflects the enlightened absolutism of early ...
About the Artist
Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Luigi Bardi|Eduard Eichens|Luigi Bardi|Paolo Toschi (Italian|Italian|Italian) · 1750 |1788 |1797 –1850 |1854 |1870
Italian, active Florence, 1814–43|Italian, Parma 1788–1854 Parma|Italian, Florence 1797–1870 Rome