Het Weense dubbelhuwelijk: Maximiliaan bespreekt met de koning van Hongarije en zijn broer de huwelijken tussen hun (klein)kinderen

The influential German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer created this print, Het Weense dubbelhuwelijk: Maximiliaan bespreekt met de koning van Hongarije en zijn broer de huwelijken tussen hun (klein)kinderen, in 1515. Executed on paper, this classification of print media functions as both a detailed artistic work and a significant historical record of a pivotal diplomatic event orchestrated by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I.

The subject matter focuses squarely on the political negotiations that occurred during the Congress of Vienna in 1515. The composition captures Maximilian I as he discusses the planned dynastic marriages between the Habsburg and Jagiellonian houses with Vladislaus II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, and his brother, Sigismund I of Poland. These strategic alliances, immortalized here by Dürer, were instrumental in securing the future acquisition of Bohemia and Hungary for the Habsburg empire, drastically reshaping the early modern European political landscape.

Dürer’s ability to render complex scenes with precise detail is evident in this piece. As one of the preeminent artists of 16th-century Germany, Dürer often worked on large projects commissioned by the Emperor, demonstrating the close relationship between patronage and high-quality prints during this period. The dissemination of such graphic works on paper allowed crucial political imagery to reach a broader audience than traditional paintings could. This important historical and artistic artifact is now housed in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Like many significant works produced by the artist, the image is frequently studied and made available through public domain resources, cementing its status as a vital document of the era.