#metterberg

[count-lero]

Pride Month is inevitably coming to an end and it’s a real shame that I was unable to make any artistic input during this wonderful time of the year. 🏳️‍🌈

The only thing I can contribute at last is this drawing which is three months old already but I always struggle with sharing historical ship-content on this account, as it seems inappropriate in a way. 'Cause you know: all the fascinating/gorgeous/serious/funny historical stuff and then that…

It doesn’t really stop me from loving various Napoleonic rare-pairs with all my heart nonetheless. 😔🤲❤️

Disclaimer: Most of historical characters featured on such arts were undoubtedly straight, had wives, kids, mistresses, etc. But ship-dynamic is very real - as always. ✨

[count-lero]

Sometimes emotions overwhelm you so much that you let them stream subconsciously through your art. At least, it can turn out nicely in the very end. 🥀

Don’t know what kind of plot lies behind this illustration. Perhaps, it will appear on its own a little bit later.

The only thing I can say for sure is that field-marshal Schwarzenberg experienced an unhealthy amount of stress during the years 1813 - 1815 and chancellor Metternich was never good at supporting those people in his surroundings who suffered profoundly physically and mentally.

“You have done what a good general must and can do; the fatherland and posterity will thank you for it”.

Did you really think that it was enough, dear Klemens? Was that really enough?

[count-lero]

So I’m bringing something incredibly sweet and tender to the fandom table~

“And what is it?”, you’ll ask. “One second, please!”, I’ll answer!

*rummages in his pouch with fan-art*

Oh! Who could have guessed! Those are some ✨ship feels✨

Wonderfully soft and delicate those feels are. Without any unnecessary angst or anguish. Just something simple but special. 🤲❤️

And I actually believe that such moments between those two happen on very rare occasions, since Metternich is usually quite unbearable and selfish. He simply doesn’t care much, if only it’s not some kind of crazy passion how it was in case of his most famous lover, Wilhelmina, duchess of Sagan. When this love story gets brought up, I always smirk inwardly, as many found Clemens incredibly calm and rational person who savoured life in complete stillness. Like a snake of some sort. However, this affair ruins his “cold and unapproachable” imagery at once.

Like, yeah, he was tremendously passionate.

“Trop de passion et pas assez d’art”

Those were Wilhelmine’s own words. And what a backstab they were at Metternich’s inflated ego. His love towards her lingered in the air until her dying days but he had probably never forgave her fully because of them.

When it comes to my perception of their… ehem… intimate relationships with Schwarzenberg, I see them as something domestic almost. Metternich already had too much disturbances and emotional upheavals in his life - especially in the period between 1809 and 1815 - and he probably wouldn’t love that strictly secret part of his love life to cause him any kind of trouble. He, personally, would probably bring a lot to the table and light-hearted, caring Schwarzenberg is there for it. He is there with his helping hand or his shoulder on which Metternich can lay his overworked head and contemplate in silence. Or continue to speak out on all the political questions troubling his mind. Or complain. Or weep, since he was very sensitive after all. Or dream. Or simply sleep.

Klemens brings almost nothing into those relationships (only in case when Schwarzenberg gets too overwhelmed in dealing with all that sh*t constantly, thus the situation becomes too dangerous, and, of course, the horny element; perhaps too much horny stuff for Schwarzenberg to handle…) and Karl never asks for something back because that’s just how the things work.

Die natürliche Ordnung der Dinge.

(Well, actually no, Schwarzenberg probably doesn’t think that everything’s fine - nothing is fine! It’s horrible and unjust, especially towards the woman of his dreams, but oh well. He had never cheated on her with any other woman. She is the one and only. But Metternich still comes to him and puts everything in his life on fires of Hell.)

So, that’s the main ideas, I guess, and I’m always ready to share them. And will share more in a foreseeable future! Х)

To sum it all up, this art was actually inspired by a certain passage from a book about Congress of Vienna, where the author spoke about all the exquisite dishes which were offered to the guests and their favourite beverage - coffee, since a lot of those men and women passed sleepless nights dancing, playing cards, etc. And after reading that I thought Metternich could probably be that sort of a person who stays awake on his feet for two or three days fuelled by his own passion and coffee, then, with the last bits of his strength, creeps there where nobody is going to look for him, tries to get on the nerves of his saviour one last time and simply passes out in his embrace, because it was too much. Even for such person as Klemens.

And now they can simply enjoy the moments of peace and complete stillness together.

That’s what they both need after all the trouble. 🤫

[count-lero]

Recently - a week (or something like that) before - I was able to fully read one of the most exciting pieces of Napoleonic era correspondence I’ve ever found - letters from Metternich to Schwarzenberg and vice versa concerning all kinds of political, military and diplomatic affairs which took place in Europe from the second half of 1813 to the end of 1815! There is a bunch missing as usual but what was left is still an enormous treasure, since they deliver interesting factual details and reveal in its entirety the characters of those two prominent men.

I plan to do some translations into English as certain addresses and turns of phrases are truly wonderful. They show how such correspondence of immense government importance was still a place for describing all kinds of fears and worries, demonstrating honest views (sometimes scandalous even) as well as showing affection. Deep, cordial affection that two old “partners in crime” had for each other for a long period of time.

Before my acquaintance with those precious letters I’ve never imagined how warm their relationships truly were. I understood they were friends. Probably. To some extent, it was at the family level: Schwarzenberg knew Eleonora von Kaunitz, Metternich’s first wife, very well, perhaps, not only because of Maria Louisa’s wedding arrangements in 1809 - 1810 but for his whole life as they were children of the Vienna’s upper class society who had been growing up in the same environment, until Schwarzenberg started his military career in 1786. During the ambassadorial days of 1809 - 1812 Karl was also able to meet Metternich’s children (due to her poor health Eleonora preferred staying in Paris most of the time even after Metternich became a chancellor), found them very cute and amiable. Schwarzenberg’s wife, Maria Anna von Hohenfeld (“Nani” as he called her tenderly), who visited him often with their three sons was familiar with Eleonora as well (I actually stumbled upon one assertion which claimed that the latter experienced some kind of “jealousy” towards the former, since Schwarzenberg was madly in love with Nani, had never cheated on her with another woman and all-in-all was a perfect example of loving husband and father; but that point of view hurts my feelings too much (even though it seems pretty accurate) and I’m sitting over here in denial, sorry! 😅).

So, yeah, I guess, it’s pretty much impossible to remain completely nonchalant towards each other after years of diplomatic (and military afterwards) partnership. But for a long time I had no significant evidence of their direct communication, every assumption in this matter was practically a complete shot in the dark. Now I have some pieces of their correspondence and oh boy, what a rollercoaster of emotions… 💥

Their characters, readable between the lines, are pretty much illustrative. Schwarzenberg who understands very well all the nuances of politics remains open-minded, easygoing and playful. Sometimes even his good-hearted nature becomes unbelievably harsh, when, for example, allied monarchs tried interfering with his direct orders to the army where common soldiers always hang on a brink of hunger. When it comes to Metternich, he is all there with his inflated ego, evil irony, familiar complaints about himself but at the same time it’s necessary to pay tribute to him - he actually tries his best to console Schwarzenberg in all the misfortunes which the post of an allied commander brought to him.

What can I say, the stakes were higher than ever! Metternich understood the importance of his friend’s well-being, since they had to play the game against Napoleon till the very end. Once they positioned themselves as his allies. They eventually became his doom. The political significance of their cooperation is truly somewhere over the top of a roof taking into consideration such a miserable state (financial, especially) in which Austria was during the Napoleonic wars and after them.

Okay, so here it is once again, my love anthem towards these two mischievous Austrians - a military man and a statesman! That’s probably more than enough for one time but I want to show a small illustration as well... 🤲 🇦🇹

The one who led the armies of hundred thousands and the one who pulled thin diplomatic strings on the stage of Europe itself.

How much I love this type of duos, I can’t express it enough! 😩

Next time I’ll try and bring bits of translations I promised. Until then - few lines in French which are mesmerising.

Vous voyez, mon cher ami, que j’éprouve le besoin de vous épancher mon cœur.

Bonsoir, cher ami, que le ciel vous éclaire et nous protège!

[count-lero]

For the last couple of weeks have been feeling a tiny bit depressed because… reasons. However, something brings me back to life: it’s my immense love for certain historical characters and their relationships, of course!

And here is one more tribute to it as always. 🇦🇹 ❤️

It’s the year 1815 in Vienna, early spring comes shyly to the Austrian capital. In the middle of all the uproar happening at the Congress two imperial ministers of the highest rank possible are simply having some recreation time for themselves.

Soon they won’t be able to enjoy it for a long time…

Finished this drawing today with an immense feeling of accomplishment. This month marks a year, since I’ve started learning much more about Austria, Austrians and their contribution to the history of the Napoleonic wars. It was also the time, when I thought that Metternich and Schwarzenberg are such a perfect pair of political and diplomatic partners that I would love to learn much more about them.

That’s how I got there where I am now. And I hope it’s only a beginning. :)

There’s probably going to be a bunch of new and old drawings dedicated to this occasion and I’m very excited to share much more history-related stories in the nearest future. I’m also incredibly grateful for a warm response I receive over here, on Tumblr. It always helps me to get through all the disturbing real-life stuff.

Thank you so much for your support and attention! Vielen Dank! 🥺🤲🌺

[count-lero]

While I was searching for some fan-art with Metternich in my collection not so long ago, I suddenly came across these two sketches I’ve not shared on Tumblr before. Even though now I’m aware of some huge mistakes in their appearances (primarily Schwarzenberg’s one: since then I’ve seen a bunch of planchettes depicting Austrian soldiers and officers at the different stages of Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars which made me rethink a lot - especially his hair style), love the general meaning behind it all so far. ❤️

One day I’ll probably make an adequate redraw… However, that doesn’t stop me from posting the “original”!

Besides, they still look pretty cool and cinematic. 🎥✨

The concept itself came to me, when I was exploring Metternich and Schwarzenberg’s lives once again in search for a “common ground” - major milestones in the Napoleonic wars period which brought them closer, until they’ve started working hand in hand in practical terms. The most important one is, for sure, the war of the Fifth Coalition culminating in the battles of Wagram and Znaim.

Won’t go into details on this one: there’re many people out there who are much more familiar with the Austrian campaign of 1809 and it’s origins. I’m still a noob who has a lot - A LOT - to learn about (three volumes of Gill’s “Thunder on the Danube”… *looking respectfully with almost holly fear* 👁👁). However, the circumstance which interests me the most is that the events of the day brought back to the shores of the Danube two Austrian ambassadors - a military man and a professional diplomat. The military man discussed the matters of the Danube principalities and the Ottoman Empire with the Russian court in Saint-Petersburg: they had been waging war against Turks since 1806; and the diplomat… well, let’s say that after his mission the brilliant city of Paris took a special place in his heart~

Briefly speaking, Metternich’s struggles on his journey back, which started in May, were phenomenal since he had to travel during the war time in a state of a living “bargaining chip”, meanwhile Schwarzenberg almost missed Wagram itself because of the long detour he had to take on his way back to the Austrian empire. Still in the first days of July they were both present before emperor Franz (as well as Gentz’s inquisitive gaze and feather) - after that one of them went straight to the front line.

What came next, history says for itself. A series of defeats (Znaim being the fatal blow, since Wagram wasn’t that disastrous at all - it was a worthy showdown, even the French acknowledge this in their memoires), humiliating peace of Schönbrunn and the disgrace that finally overtook the country’s war party (since emperor Franz had never been a big fan of it all). Now the time had come for the pacification of Napoleon. It was also the time for the recently appointed chancellor and Austrian ambassador in Paris to shine. ✨

Despite all odds, it was certainly a new beginning - extraordinary one for Metternich, incredibly difficult and tedious one for Schwarzenberg. Nevertheless, it was for the greater good - for the sake of the Habsburg’s Empire. And I sincerely believe that this thought lifted the spirits of such men of service even in the darkest hours (until it’s too much for them to handle as it was in Schwarzenberg’s case). 🇦🇹

P.S.

These pair drawings actually made me think for the first time about how much “fun” it was for the Austrians with their predominantly white uniforms (by the way, the three-coloured combo - white, red and gold - is one of my favourites now, thank you, my dear obsession 🤍❤️💛) to participate in a serious combat, when the heavy artillery fire was unleashed from the both sides. Like, man, at what state were the coats of the soldiers and officers afterwards, I can’t even imagine… ☠️

Also, Schwarzenberg’s face says it all for him.

“Why am I, a professional military man who dreams about guns, glory and making my job right, that cursed to miss all the triumph aka Aspern and Essling and now have to witness one more epic failure as it was with Ulm and Austerlitz”.

At the meantime Metternich is just vibing. Mischievously, as always. 😌

[count-lero]

So, what’s the best part about finding out a perfect (or almost perfect) cast for some historical characters you love? In my opinion, it’s the opportunity which provides you with content at times when you are too tired or lazy to make new one yourself!

I’m not skilful in the art of making collages which could be useful in this particular case. That’s why I’ll simply post over here few screenshots that always make me think of my favourite Austrian men… in an angsty way this time (okay, I promise, there’s not only angst but also sm*t - it’s like the essential specific of the Napoleonic era). 🥀

The screenshots I’m using are from “Der Congreß tanzt” (“The Congress dances”), the movie I spoke about not so long ago, and “La chartreuse de Parme” (“The Charter-house of Parma”), the screen adaptation of Stendal’s literary classic which was realised in 1948. It seems that the plot of the film gets pretty far from the original book but it’s not the important part. The important part is the “miracle” I was able to discover there: the portrayal of selfish, tyrannical and generally horrible ruler of Parma, prince Ernesto IV, from certain angles reminds me of Schwarzenberg immensely…

In the end, prince’s figure looks too elegant and skinny unlike Karl’s actual completion but I’m in no position to complain since I don’t believe I’ll see actual Schwarzenberg’s representation in Napoleonic media in the nearest future. I have to be content with what I have. X)

The first thing I love immensely about these screenshots is their ability to show one fashion trend which became popular among Austrian military men attending the endless celebrations of the Vienna Congress. You know, the smoking pipes of all shapes and sizes had been there for a long period of time but smoking cigars - that’s what was en vogue at the time. 🕺🇦🇹

Friendly speaking, everything that is connected with smoking seems to be extremely kinky, ahem, and I just can’t help it, since I have plenty head-canons about Schwarzenberg’s attitude to it (he suffered from severe health issues for all of his life and always had to care for himself - especially for his physical form which was predisposed to plumpness - but as he was a man of simple pleasures, I believe he could make some exceptions for smoking, for example; there is also the figure of almost overprotective Metternich who wants to get all the things done perfectly (as much as possible) during the campaigns of 1813/1814 and the Vienna Congress, thus he is always there, grumbling but deep down charmed, as he wants to see the commander of the allied forces and the President of Hofkriegsrat afterwards in good health and mood).

And after that came the Congress itself - constant discussions of the most important state affairs in private with the continuous danger of them turning into something very… peculiar, since it was essentially Metternich’s motto at the time.

“F*ck the international affairs, let’s f*ck someone much more attractive and mesmerising!”, ahem. 🚬

And the second thing I adore about these screenshots (two last ones in particular) is the overwhelming feeling of loss which lingers in the air any time I start to speak about Metternich and Schwarzenberg. Before Metternich always seemed to me as a person who is unable to miss someone who was once special for his heart for a long time. The case of Wilhelmina Sagan proved me wrong. Like, he was still incapable of a deep sense of loss but it bothered him nonetheless. In case of Schwarzenberg it could have been something similar to it (and his mixed feelings after Gentz’s death, for example). It’s something like “I lost someone of great importance for my chancellor’s affairs, someone who was able to provide me with essential help in the world of military men, but there is also something else which I would not dare to touch as I’m above it - gonna mask it under the evil irony about his relationships with his wife which I never understood, how clever of me, haha”. 🙄

And when it comes to the circumstances of Schwarzenberg’s death, everything was extremely depressive: I’ve already mentioned his poor health which was absolutely ruined after twenty years of constant wars (the overall time he spent in the fields isn’t actually that impressive but for someone with such problems as his it was practically a death sentence at the time). Everything almost ended for him with the first stroke - hi, hello, dear apoplexy - he suffered in 1817 after the death of his favourite younger sister, Marie Karoline, in the beginning of 1816 and a series of insults which came directly from the court and emperor Franz at the same time. In the end of 1816 he notably pulled away from Vienna and in the beginning of 1817 all the tension accumulated in him over the years of service resulted in a disaster…

After that came a long process of rehabilitation by the means of different Bohemian mineral waters, severe depression in the face of deaths of his closest friend and military colleagues all across Europe and finally - the loss of will to live. In spring 1820 his family moved him to the renown city of Leipzig, the place of his military triumph, where he perked up a little bit but another stroke came afterwards in September. He didn’t make it, unfortunately.

The tragedy of his life is truly underestimated and I’m going to continue talking about it in a more informative way in the future. But for now all that is left for Metternich is the sudden news of his unfortunate death and some kind of a shock, as he had already lost two his favourite daughters previously this year.

What can I say - the Congress of Tropau was certainly a lot of “fun” for him. :)))))

[count-lero]

Weekly fan-art with two Austrians I’m obsessed with? That’s a “hell yeah” for me, for sure!

Today I bring you something spontaneous, something I’ve wanted to start depicting months ago… However, the fear of failure was too strong for me to handle. It’s not fully gone yet - far from it - but I finally made some steps towards my aim! Hope it would help me overcome any other art blocks in the nearest future. :)

Besides, even the intermediate results of my little experiment please me greatly - love all kinds of cinematic effects which helps greatly with bringing the action to the scene, even when you draw simple sketches only. 🎥

The first reason why I wanted to draw an art-series of some sort is quite simple. Since I’ve thought through the general plot and overall historical background of my favourite Napoleonic “partners in crime”, I would actually love to depict as many of their interactions in different timelines as possible - starting from their first meeting, of course!

The second one is even simpler: while Schwarzenberg’s family had more than enough means to provide their son with an exceptional amount of portraits depicting him from the earliest ages, Metternich couldn’t boast of the same luxury. That circumstance in particular gives me such a freedom of expression. I’m definitely going to play with his appearance a lot~

It will be a lot of fun, I’m sure! After all, fate brought them together at the turn of the two extremely turbulent centuries...

So, let’s dive into the history a little bit deeper than I usually prefer: the summer of 1793 is knocking on our doors! Outside the French Revolution is reaching it’s highest, most violent point and soon the blood of a Habsburg will water down the land of the French, serving as a sign - a ferocious cry for revenge which swept through the ranks of the Coalition armies gathered at the boarders of the new-born Republic.

At that time one promising German count named Klemens von Metternich, who, following in his father’s footsteps, chose the diplomatic service for the Holy Roman Empire as his main life path, had just turned twenty years old, meanwhile his future close friend, prince Karl Philipp zu Schwarzenberg, who joined the Imperial military ranks in his teenage years, was only two years older than him.

Back then, they constantly traveled the roads of the so-called Austrian Netherlands (nowadays Belgium) - from the frontline to the capital city of Brussels. And it was rather logical for two young men of their statuses to bond over the grounds of mutual respect and political benefit.

However, they could never imagine how many disasters, adventures and challenges were waiting for them in the future… 🤫🇦🇹