Portrait of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
It is unclear whether Empress Maria Theresa (1717-1780) is here looking out over the gardens of the Schönbrunn summer residence, which was built during her reign. She wears mourning clothes for the death of her husband, Francis of Lorraine, in 1765. Ignaz Manzador was a Viennese miniature painter. He emphasized the translucent nature of parchment by choosing a double-sided depiction: we see Maria Theresa portrayed from the front and from the back.