Portrait of emperor Franz I

Holy Roman Emperor Francis I — Francis Stephen of Lorraine, husband of Maria Theresa — sat to Liotard during the artist's extended visits to the Viennese imperial court. Liotard was a favourite portraitist of the Habsburg court from his first Vienna visit in 1743, and he produced images of both Maria Theresa and Francis I across several sessions. Francis I was a significant patron of the arts and sciences in his own right, funding the Naturhistorisches Museum collections and the Augarten porcelain manufactory. The pastel medium for an imperial portrait was unusual — oil on canvas was the conventional choice — and it signals the degree of trust and informality that characterised Liotard's relationship with the Habsburg family. The work is now in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig, reflecting the dynastic network connecting the Habsburg and Welf courts.

Pastel on paper, with Liotard's controlled technique applied to the challenge of conveying imperial authority in an inherently intimate medium. Imperial dress and decorations are handled with careful attention to rank insignia, while the face is rendered with Liotard's characteristic psychological directness.