František Josef I.

ID: #861114 | Realism | Portraits

Portrait of an Austrian potentate by an unknown artist. The poetry of Austria-Hungary still has its nostalgic charm of the good old days when everything was in its place, life was harmonious and peaceful. That it was a turbulent time, full of crises, and longed for by few after the end of the monarchy, needs no admission. Old Procházka, however, is an unforgettable symbol of those times.

Franz Joseph married his cousin Elisabeth of Bavaria in 1854. He became one of the longest reigning monarchs in the world. He also lived to probably the oldest age (86) of all Habsburg monarchs. He was the longest reigning Emperor of Austria and for a short period (from 17 October 1916 until his death on 21 November 1916) the longest reigning monarch in the world.

The nickname "Old Walker", which some Czechs derisively called him, was given to the Emperor, according to widespread legend, during his visit to Prague in 1901, thanks to a caption on a newspaper photograph "Walker on the Bridge" in the Svetozor of 12 June 1901. (At that time Franz Joseph I was inaugurating the bridge, now called the Bridge of Legions.) According to historian Otto Urban, however, the nickname is much older, having been acquired in the 1870s, when the arrival of an imperial procession was announced by a rider on horseback. His name was Procházka and people shouted "Old Procházka is coming!". This version is also supported by the research of historian Jiří Rako, who looked through all the newspapers of the time and found that there is no caption under the photograph. (Source: wikipedia.org). Prevailing color of this fine art print is green and its shape is portrait. This image is printed on demand - you can choose material, size and finishing.