This painting is by Anton Raphael Mengs, a German painter who worked in the leading capitals of Europe and who is considered as one of the greatest exponents of neoclassicism. It portrays Peter Leopold, called “the wise”, the son of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and brother of Emperor Joseph II, when he was grand duke of Tuscany, before he himself became emperor as Leopold II. A leading sovereign of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, he is shown here in a dignified but not haughty pose. On his chest we see a sash of white and red, the heraldic colours of the Habsburgs.
From May 15 to 27, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan hosts Art in Respect – A dialogue, a solo exhibition by artist and couturier Filippo Sorcinelli.
To celebrate Mother's Day, on Sunday 11 May the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana is offering free admission to all mothers accompanied by their children.
