It’s often tempting to apply modern thoughts and standards to historical paintings. This glorious 1613 Candid* portrait of the 26 year old Magdalene of Bavaria (1587-1628) rather begs to be interpreted: she either looks incredibly haughty, incredibly bored, or as if she’s just discovered that her lowest and least-favourite lady in waiting is wearing the exact same outfit she is, and looks better in it.
Peter Candid (circa 1548–1628), Magdalene of Bavaria (1587-1628), wife of Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg, 1613, Alte Pinakothek
It’s interesting to match these musings to what is known of Magdalene, who was described as ‘wise’, and was by the accounts available in English (she’s not the most important historical figure, so there isn’t a lot!) politically savvy and ambitious.
Magdalene was a Bavarian princess who was a pawn (although possibly an entirely aware and participatory one) in the great West-Central European political machinations of the early 17th century.
The child of William V, Duke of Bavaria and Renata of Lorraine, and the granddaughter of Christina of Denmark (she who, as a 16 year old widow, famously refused Henry VII proposal with the sassy retort “If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England’s disposal”) and an Austrian Archduchess, Magdalene was linked to most of the royal houses of Europe, and a desirable ally.
Both Archduke Matthias and Archduke Leopold of Austra wanted her hand in marriage in order to get Bavaria on their side in the ‘Brothers Quarrel’ Austrian dynastic dispute of the early 17th century. She stated she would rather be a nun than marry Matthias (!!!), but wanted to marry Leopold.
Her father and brother were not willing to get entangled in the Austrian mess and pushed her to refuse Leopold’s suit and accept the hand of her brother’s friend Wolfgang Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of the Palatine-Neuburg.
Neuburg itself was relatively weak and poor and would not normally have been an ally important enough to justify the hand of such a sought-after princess. The Bavarian court, however, had another motive in promoting the union. Through it they hoped to convince Wolfgang to renounce his Lutheran faith and become a Catholic. In the fraught environment of religious tensions in the German states in the years before the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the diplomatic coup of enticing a prominent Protestant to covert to Catholicism was as valuable as a powerful ally.
Not only did the Bavarians ploy work, with Wolfgang converting either at the marriage in November 1613, or in early 1614, but Magdalene and Wolfgang had (by 17th century royal standards at least) a happy marriage. They had only one child, a son Phillip William, born 1615, who inherited his father’s title.
Magdalene died at age 41 in 1628, and Wolfgang would marry twice more. He managed to maintain neutrality during the Thirty Years War, avoiding the devastation that swept through the other German States, including Bavaria, where Magdalene’s brother was not so lucky.
This painting was done at the time of her marriage – when she would have felt the loss of her preferred suitor, and would not have yet known that she’d come to prefer her husband. Perhaps that explains her rather grave and stiff expression.
*best name for a portrait artist ever, although he’s also called Peter de Witte, which is rather less glorious
