PORTRAIT OF ARCHDUKE KARL LUDWIG OF AUSTRIA–TESCHEN (1771–1847)

France, Paris, October 1815
Profile portrait bust of a man with sideburns and a high collar, executed in alabaster relief, mounted on a velvet backing under glass in a gilded wooden frame with decorative mouldings and a suspension loop. Height of the relief 10 cm; outer frame dimensions 20×17.4 cm. Signed and dated on the underside of the bust: “Creu, de Bâlc (?), fait à Paris au mois d’Octobre 1815.” Executed in the style of the Austrian sculptor Leonhard Posch (1750–1831), who produced profile portrait reliefs in various materials including metal, plaster, wax, and biscuit porcelain. Condition B. An Austrian archduke, Prince of Teschen and military commander, member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, depicted wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen. He served as the highest-ranking general during the Napoleonic Wars and defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Aspern. After the defeat at the Battle of Wagram and the armistice concluded at Znojmo, he was suspended by Francis I and withdrew into seclusion at Weilburg Castle near Baden. He was among the most important military writers of the 19th century.