Portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. (1708-1765)

Meytens was a court painter in Vienna. He created the companion pieces shortly after Franz Stephan of Lorraine was crowned Holy Roman Emperor (1745). Francis I appears in a sovereign pose with the attributes of his power. He is wearing the habit of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Portraits of the imperial couple were much sought after shortly after the coronation. Many copies and variations were made in Meytens' workshop, often with the use of a quick-drying binding agent.