Margareta of Austria
1519-1520
Meet Margaret of Austria, one of the most powerful women in 16th-century Europe, looking rather severe in her elaborate widow's headdress. Painted by Bernard van Orley around 1519, this portrait captures the Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands in all her pleated, white-glory. That massive, fan-like collar and hood weren't just fashion statements; they signaled her status as a twice-widowed noblewoman who ruled with an iron fist. Despite the somber outfit, Margaret was a major patron of the arts and the aunt who raised the future Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. The coat of arms in the top left corner proudly displays her royal lineage, reminding everyone exactly who was boss.
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