Wapen van Rooms-Duits keizerin Maria Theresia

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

Behold the intricate etching *Wapen van Rooms-D keizerin Maria Theres* by Dutch printmaker Pieter Tanjé1711–1761). This modest yet elegant work, measuring just 101 × 167 mm, captures the coat of arms of Maria Theresa, the formidable Holy Empress who ruled the Habsburg domains from 1740 to 1780. Tanjé, renowned for his precise reproductive prints and book illustrations, crafted this piece during his active years in the mid-18th century, the era's fascination with heraldry and royal iconography. Etching, Tanjé's chosen medium, allowed for fine lines and tonal depth through acid-biting into a metal plate—a technique that made detailed emblems like this accessible to collectors and scholars. The coat of arms symbolizes Maria Theresa's vast imperial power, blending Habsburg eagles with imperial motifs amid a Europe rife with dynastic rivalries, including the War of the Austrian Succession. On the verso, a stamped collector's mark (Lugt 240) hints at its prized history, likely from the esteemed library of Pierre Firmin-Didot. This small treasure invites us to ponder how such prints preserved the grandeur of empire for posterity.