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German History in Documents and Images
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Maria Theresa and Her Family on the Terrace of Schönbrunn Palace (c. 1755)
This painting shows Maria Theresa (r. 1740-80) with her family on the terrace of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Her husband, Emperor Francis I (r. 1745-65), is seated on the left side of the canvas; their eldest son, the future emperor Joseph II (r. 1765-90), stands to next to her, dressed in red. Maria Theresa gave birth to sixteen children, thirteen of whom survived infancy. Eleven appear in this family portrait, which was presumably painted before her last two children – Marie Antonia (i.e., Marie Antoinette) and Maximilian Francis – were born. Painting by Martin van Meytens (1695-1770), c. 1755.