Allegorical Portrait of the Four Eldest Children of the King and Queen of Bohemia

The composition of this pen and ink drawing shows Princess Palatine Elisabeth (1618-1680) as Diana, goddess of the hunt, accompanied by her three brothers who represent Diana's entourage. Elisabeth can be identified as Diana through her attributes: the bow in her right hand, the quiver of arrows on her back and the crescent moon in her hair. Standing to her right is her younger brother Prince Rupert (1619-1682), who guides the viewer's eyes by pointing towards the other two children approaching Diana. The small boy with the spear in his hand can be identified as Elisabeth's youngest brother Prince Moritz (1620-1652), while her older brother Prince Karl Ludwig (1617-1680) is the one offering a dead hare. Accompanied by two hunting dogs, the group stands in front of a loosely sketched background representing a forest.

This sheet was made in preparation for a signed and dated painting, The Four Eldest Children of the King and Queen of Bohemia (Queen's Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, The Royal Collection, UK, RCIN 404971).