Portrait of Joseph I
Medium
Mezzotint on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 34 × 23.5 cm (13 7/16 × 9 5/16 in.); Sheet: 37.2 × 26.5 cm (14 11/16 × 10 7/16 in.)
Classification
mezzotint
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
131990
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Elias Christoph Heiss’s emblematic portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I was originally a book illustration celebrating the rule of the monarch’s father, Emperor Leopold. Joseph’s medallion-size bust appears with regal lions and palms evoking the exotic Eden that he believed would come to fruition during his reign.