An Allegory of Archduke Rudolph, oil on canvas, 46.5 x 250 cm, unframed

Duke Rudolf IV, called the Founder (1339-1365), stands in the left half of the picture, depicted in a red coat, ducal hat and breeches. Around him, various significant events of his reign are shown. Rudolf IV created the title of archduke in 1358/59 through the Privilegium Maius - a series of forged documents - which were in use from 1453 until the end of the Austrian monarchy.
On the left edge of the picture, craftsmen can be seen gathering around the Duke during his decision to dissolve the guilds. On 20 July 1361 Rudolf IV took action against the cartelistic policies of the cooperative organisations of master craftsmen, with the aim of strengthening free trade.
To the right is an image of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, the construction of which began in 1359. The construction of the south tower and the extension of the already existing Gothic church were intended to give the monumental sacred building a new look. The two chapels to the right and left of the main entrance as well as the princely doors also date back to Rudolf IV. The Duke’s tomb is located in the crypt under the central choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The donors, Rudolf IV and his wife Catherine, were immortalised in the vaulting of the bishop’s door. Presumably the sketch of St. Stephen’s Church is presented here by the Magister operum ad St. Stephanum. Who exactly was responsible for planning the construction is, however, unclear.
The date of 7 April 1359, the day the foundation stone was laid, is found on the document presented to the Duke by the clergyman on his right. In the background a Tyrolean delegation is depicted holding the Tyrolean coat of arms - the red eagle on a white background. Tyrol was bequeathed to the Habsburgs through an inheritance treaty with Margaret of Tyrol, later called Margarete Maultasch. Margaret, the mother-in-law of Rudolf IV’s sister, entrusted Rudolf the county with the then provincial capital Meran as she had no other heirs.
The centre of the painting is dominated by the founding of Vienna University. The exact date of this event, 12 March 1365, can be read on the foundation charter. It is presumably held by Albert of Saxony, the first rector of the university, who is surrounded by several scholars in gowns. It is possible that the artist also wanted to place this event at the centre of Rudolf IV’s work, but he died only a few months later in July 1365.
The founding of the Faculty of Theology at the Viennese Alma Mater on
20 February 1384 took place in the reign of Albert III, Rudolf IV’s younger brother and successor (c. 1349/50-1395).
Albert III (called “with the braid”) is shown on the right side of the picture, taking possession of the document. The University of Vienna became a fully-fledged university only once the Faculty of Theology was created.
To the right of Albert III is a document with the inscription “Lachsenburg”; this refers to the expansion of the small castle in Laxenburg into an elegant hunting lodge (today known as the Altes Schloss). It was to become the Duke’s favourite place of residence, where he finally died in 1395.
The monumental painting is reminiscent of Hans Makart’s famous designs for the 1875 silver wedding anniversary of the imperial couple Francis Joseph I and Elisabeth, as well as the ceiling painting in the Gold Hall of the Kunsthistorisches Museum by Julius Victor Berger, “Patronage of the Arts by the House of Habsburg”.