Bust Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, Electress Palatine

Sculpture played a central role at the court of Prince- Elector Johann Wilhelm. With the appointment of the Flemish artist Gabriel Grupello, who had previously enjoyed success in Brussels and worked as court sculptor for the Spanish King, in 1695 Düsseldorf became home to an artist of international renown. In the 20 years until the Prince-Elector’s death in 1716, Grupello produced many marble and bronze works, with one of his primary tasks being to create visual works that symbolized the ruler’s status and grandeur. The two monumental marble busts originally flanked the entrance to the Prince-Elector’s gallery of Paintings. Given their impressive character, they were designed to demonstrate the ruler’s absolutist claim to power and thus followed in the tradition of Baroque princely portraits that developed on the basis of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini’s portrayal of Louis XIV. Grupello uses the repertoire of artistic techniques in an impressive way: A suit of armor with Jupiter’s lightning bolts symbolizes defensive ability, the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece identifies its owner as a relative of the Emperor and member of the European high nobility related to the House of Habsburg. The Princess Elector, whose status is highlighted by a diadem studded with numerous gemstones, displays a corresponding dress and stance. Yet the crucial expressive value comes from the faces of those depicted: The Prince-Elector’s steady gaze and energetic turn of his head to the side reflect his sovereign manner. (Barbara Til)