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RADOS, Luigi de (1773-1840) after Jean Baptiste François BOSIO
Marie Louise Archid. d' Autriche
A Paris chez Bance ame M. d'Estampes rue St. Denis and a' Milan chez Joseph M. et Frere Ubiemi M. d' Estampes rue des Servi n. 506 Editeurs., 1810. Stipple with engraving. Printed on laid paper. Collectors blind stamp of a bee in lower right corner of title space. In excellent condition with the exception of a creased lower right corner. Trimmed just outside platemark on all sides. Crease on right edge outside image. Some creasing and paper loss on upper right corner. Image size: 24 5/8 x 16 7/8 inches. Plate mark: 30 x 19 1/2 inches. Sheet size: 30 3/16 x 19 3/4 inches.
A captivating portrait of Marie Louise of Austria, Napoleon's second wife.
This is a magnificent print of Marie Louise of Austria executed in 1810, the year of her marriage to Emperor Napoleon. In 1809 when Josephine, Napoleon's first wife, failed to give him a son, the Emperor divorced her. He based this action on the spurious grounds that a parish priest had not been present at their marriage, but it was well known that this decision resulted from his desire for a male heir. Two months later he married Marie Louise, the daughter of Francis II, Emperor of Austria, and great-niece of Marie Antoinette. The marriage did nothing to end the enmity between France and Austria, but in 1811 Marie gave birth to a son, Francois Charles, who was made king of Rome.
This captivating print depicts Marie at one of the most pivotal moments of her life. She is portrayed as being both innocent and magisterial, fashionable as well as reserved which results in a hauntingly beautiful portrait of this young bride. Rados's print recalls the portrait of Marie, executed in the same year, by Jean Godfrey. Both works are monumental in size and depict the young princess in a park setting. The detailing of Marie's dress and the level of intricate detail in Rados's image, is nothing short of magnificent, and his soft engraving technique gives this print a delicacy, which is immensely appealing.
From the collection of William J. Latta of Philadelphia, a 19th century collector of Napoleonic material.
Regency to Empire: French Printmaking 1715-1814 no. 124; Le Blanc, Manuel de L'Amateur D'Estampes III, p. 269, no. 12; Lugt, Les Marques de Collections, No. 2825
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#12764 $1,950.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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