Allegory of the victory of Leopold I over the Ottomans

Despite its extraordinary size and painterly "outfit," this is a graphic. It represents an allegorical portrait of Emperor Leopold, to whom the thesis as a patron was dedicated. The student was the Hungarian aristocrat, Baron Ladislav Suňog (Szunyogh) of Budatín, who was enrolled in the records of the University of Vienna in 1691 and 1692. In 1694, he took the public examination in logic, and on this occasion, a university thesis dedicated to the heir to the throne, Joseph I, was created.

A year later, when he took his final exam in philosophy, he had a thesis created that was ten times (!) larger, dedicated to the monarch. The size did not betray the quality; the design was created by a Dutch painter who had recently come from a several-year stay in Rome and quickly became a court artist.

Leopold is depicted in armor, holding a marshal’s staff and pointing downward at the bowing figure of the defeated Ottoman at his feet. The rich allegorical apparatus presents Leopold as pious and just, but also as a zealous defender of the Christian faith and a victor over the hereditary enemy.

The content is further explained by several inscriptions, with the main motto in the inscription scroll held in the emperor’s eagle’s beak, which is a quote from Psalm 126: "He shall not suffer disgrace when he speaks with his enemies at the gate."

The ruler, known for his caution, is obligatorily idealized, highlighting his fearlessness, grounded in faith and also in the strength of weapons, which can be "the last argument of a king." The work thus reflects the ambitions of the young aristocrat, who was eventually ennobled to the rank of count in 1712.

Martin Čičo ● Book guide for an exhibition Fruits of Discord: Portraying the Ottoman Presence, SNG 2024.