VIENNA.- Hung above Emperor Franz Joseph I’s bed until his dying day, this painting is of great historic significance and was owned privately by the Habsburgs for more than 150 years.

The painting, which was given as a Christmas present to Emperor Franz Joseph I by none other than Elizabeth (Sisi), the soon to be empress, during the year of their engagement 1853, will be up for auction on the 27th April 2017.

The image captures the 15-year-old duchess on horseback, in front of the castle Possenhofen and the Starnberg lake.This portrait hung above the Emperor’s bed at the Vienna Hofburg for about sixty years – which only goes to emphasise its immense importance.

Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria, Sisi’s father, commissioned two of the most distinguished artists of the time to create the artwork: Carl Theodor von Piloty who was famous for his paintings of historical subjects, and Franz Adam, who was renowned for his equine depictions.

A later version of the painting can be found in the Thurn and Taxis art collection, whilst a replica of the portrait is shown at the Wiener Hofburg, hung exactly where it was previously located.

The painting’s estimated value lies between 300,000 and 350,000 Euros.

Sensational find
Dimitra Reimüller, specialist and head of Dorotheum’s 19th century painting department and Georg Ludwigstorff, Dorotheum specialist for Imperial-court memorabilia, have described the painting as a sensational find.

The painting, which was surely one of Franz Joseph’s dearest possessions and was referred to as the “engagement gift” by the Habsburg family, was bestowed upon Marie Valerie by her father the Emperor, but it soon disappeared from the public eye. It was published in “Fremdenblatt” N. 308 on the 29th December 1853, where it was described as a magnificent artwork and a Christmas present for the Emperor of Austria.

Even Egon Caesar Conte Corti, the author of a well-known biography about Sisi, mentions the painting when he writes about the first Christmas Eve that the couple spent with each other. He explained that the emperor, who did not wish to let the opportunity of a visit pass, and Sisi, who had just turned 16 on Christmas Eve, are believed to have exchanged paintings as gifts. Both of the portraits exchanged depicted the painted subjects on horseback and thus revealed their shared love for equestrianism.

Elizabeth was the offspring of parents who also loved equestrian sports and she became one of the best dressage riders in Europe by the time she reached 30, she even participated in the most daring hunting events in the U.K.

Strength of will and a passion for horseback riding – two of the future empress’ most characteristic traits – are captured in this emblematic portrait, painted by two prestigious artists, Theodor von Piloty and Franz Adam.