1721 Copper Engraving Portrait Archduchess Margaret Austria Poor Clare Nun EUM1

This is an original 1721 black and white copper engraving of "Margaretha von Österreich, Hertzogin von Parma." This is a portrait of Archduchess Margaret of Austria, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II and Maria of Spain, German Princess, and member of the House of Habsburg. Margaret was influenced by her mother's strict Catholicism, joining her when she permanently returned to Spain in 1582. Margaret became a Poor Clare nun in the Monastery of Santa Clara de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, Spain, taking to the veil under the name of Sister Margaret of the Cross. Margaret is thus depicted in the a habit in this portrait. The portrait is surrounded by a wonderful decorative motif mimicking a frame set against an etched background. The design features two cherubs flanking an urn that rests upon a stylized and grotesque face at the top of the print and a cascading grape vine design framing the remainder of the portrait, uniting at the bottom center of the print. This pie