Login

Country

Cart

Your cart is empty

Article: Emperors, Officers and the Symbols They Wore

PrevNext

Home›How to collect antique paintings›Emperors, Officers and the Symbols Th...

Emperors, Officers and the Symbols They Wore

Philip the Good founded the Order of the Golden Fleece at Bruges in 1430, on his wedding day. Nearly four centuries later its golden ram still hung on Austrian white coats.

The order passed to the Habsburgs with Burgundy, and from them into Austrian portraits.

A young officer in the white coat of the Austrian army, the Golden Fleece on a red ribbon The Fleece A single red ribbon on a white coat buttoned to the chin. Young Officer with the Golden Fleece, Austrian School
A young officer with a pale blue sash and a silver breast star over a dark green coat The sash Pale blue moiré across a dark green coat, a silver star beside it. Young Officer with the Sash and Star, Austrian School
A hussar officer in a pale blue dolman with a black fur pelisse and a silver breast star The hussar Pale blue dolman, black fur, the star of Saint Stephen. Hussar Officer in Blue, Austrian School
An officer in the white coat with a light blue standing collar and a red enamelled cross The white coat A light blue standing collar on the white of the imperial army. Habsburg Officer in Military Dress, Austrian School

A Habsburg portrait is a document before it is a picture. Each sash, star and order on the coat states rank and service, for viewers who knew the code.

How to Read a Habsburg Portrait

Read the coat before the label.

Archduke in White Uniform, Austrian School, about 1800

The Golden Fleece on its red ribbon, red flints under a small crown and the golden ram belowThe badge, on the coat.The FleeceWhat he wasThe golden ram on a red ribbonIts knights were kept to a very small number Breast star of the Military Order of Maria Theresa, a faceted silver cross with a green wreathThe star, on the coat.The starFrom whenThe Military Order of Maria TheresaIts breast star was added in 1765, so the coat is later Typewritten label in French reading archiduc Charles d'Autriche, held to the backing with yellowed tapeThe label, on the back.The labelWho, perhapsTyped in French, taped on long afterIt says Archduke Charles. Nothing on the canvas confirms it

The orders tell you what he was. Only a document could tell you who.

How to Date a Habsburg Uniform Portrait

The orders on the coat each have a birth date.

1430
The Golden FleeceFounded at Bruges by Philip the Good. Its badge, a golden ram hanging from flints.
1700
Two FleecesThe Spanish line dies out. The order is soon split, one in Madrid, one in Vienna.
1757
The Maria Theresa OrderCreated on the day of the victory at Kolin, for officers who acted on their own initiative.
1765
Its breast starAdded for holders of the Grand Cross.
1868
The end of the white coatTwo years after Königgrätz, the infantry changes to dark blue.

The star gives the earliest date. The white coat points to the century before 1868.

Buying an Austrian Imperial Portrait

Identify before you attribute The orders and the uniform usually say who the sitter is, and often within which decade the canvas was painted. That tells you more than a name on the back.
Look at the face On a repeated composition, uniform and orders could be laid in by an assistant. The likeness could not.

Habsburg portraits for sale

Portrait of a young Austrian officer in white uniform with the Golden Fleece, Austrian school oil on canvas, early 19th century, in a wide gilt frame Officer with the Golden Fleece $2,700See the painting Early 19th century officer in a dark green coat with a pale blue sash and silver star, oil on canvas in a moulded gilt frame Officer with Sash and Star $2,900See the painting Portrait of a hussar officer in pale blue dolman with black fur pelisse and a silver breast star, early 19th century Austrian oil on canvas in a period gilt frame Hussar Officer in Blue, 1800s $2,900See the painting Portrait of a Habsburg officer in white Austrian uniform with orders, oil in gilt frame Habsburg Officer, 1800s $2,900See the painting
For sale
Habsburg & Austrian Imperial Portraits Habsburg & Austrian Imperial Portraits7 paintingsBrowse the collection
Keep reading More in The Portrait TraditionPortraits of Unknown Sitters in Old Master Painting Related guideRoyal Portraits, Made to Be Copied Related guideReading Attribution on an Antique Painting Every guide, by subject

Original works, shipped free to the US and Canada, packed and tracked|Over 1,100 paintings sold since 2017

Photographs and descriptions of the paintings in our collection by GalerieClub Fine Art.