Ferdinand III

This plaque is one of nine survivors from an original set of thirteen depicting members of the Habsburg family who had been elected Emperor. This title consciously recalled the imperial power of the rulers of Ancient Rome, and the Emperor, elected by German princes, was expected to act as the secular equivalent of the Pope and defend the Catholic religion. In 1512 this religious aspect was reinforced when the imperial title was modified to 'Holy Roman Emperor'. This alteration may have been prompted by concerns about the emergence of the Protestant challenge to the Catholic religion. From 1438, when Albert II was elected Emperor, the title was virtually hereditary in the Habsburg dynasty. This set of portraits was probably made for someone with strong sympathies for the Habsburg dynasty.