Ceiling Decorations

An enormous cycle of history paintings depicts the story of the world from its mythical origins within ancient Greek and Roman culture, and Biblical stories up until the events of Early Modern history. All of the most important role models from the great periods of human history are gathered here: ancient, mythical heroes and heroines, Biblical kings, and generals and other figures from Christian history. They all personify princely and civic virtues or vices. A panoply of vedute, cityscapes, maritime scenes and pastoral landscapes convey a vivid impression of the Prince’s urbanity and the Grand Tour he undertook. Images of emblems denote the ethical ideals to which he felt himself obligated.

One feature of the Eggenberg cycle is the extensive series of emblems woven into the programme of paintings for the ceilings. Emblems are witty ‘visual puzzles’, consisting of an image (pictura) and a motto (lemma). They were intended to convey concepts, preferably in an encoded and erudite manner, and were popular as educational tools in the 17th century.

The Eggenberg emblems were, in large part, taken from a widely disseminated tract on the education of aristocratic youth: Diego Saavedras, Idea principis christiano-politici (Brussels, 1649). Don Diego Saavedra Faxardo was a knight of the Order of St. James of the Sword, imperial privy councillor and ambassador to the Peace of Westphalia at Münster, as well as to the Imperial Diet, the imperial election of Ferdinand III and to two papal elections. In the preface to his Idea, he also makes reference to his wide experience in this field. This book would go on to be used everywhere where Spanish etiquette was valued as a means of educating young princes.

The frieze zone in each of the rooms contains narrow pictorial strips, which, with few exceptions, contain topographical images. These include representations of cities, harbours and maritime scenes, famous palaces or simple, pastoral landscapes, featuring many voyagers, travelling people, huntsmen, shepherds and peasants, as well as soldiers and seafarers of all nations. These images convey a vivid impression of the Baroque world and depict many of the places visited by Prince Johann Seyfried and his brother during their three-year Grand Tour throughout Europe.