ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that early modern widows could wield political power: many enjoyed significant social and economic autonomy, in many cases maintaining the status they held during their marriage while gaining extra liberties as a result of their husbands' death. As with his predecessor, Anton von Maron depicts Maria Theresia in her widow's costume and includes the important detail of the Sternkreuzorden. The Habsburg tradition was, or course, essentially different from the French one due to the Pragmatic Sanction, Maria Theresia was crowned twice, but even with the Pragmatic Sanction supporting her claim to rule, her coronations remained troubled affairs achieved only though persistent negotiation. With the history of Maria Theresia's coronations in mind, the author would like to return to Maron's painting of 1773. Peace holds a crown of olive branches in the air at the painting's top center; with a slight bend at the waist, one can imagine her placing it on the empress's head.
