Imperial Carriage in front of St.Stephen's Cathedral drawn by eight horses

This painting executed around the middle of the 19th century, probably on a commission from the Office of the Master of the Horses, depicts the imperial carriage of the Vienna court (W 1) to which eight white stallions from the Imperial stud farms at Kladrub on the Elbe were harnessed, in the fashion usual from the 19th century on. The horses are wearing the formal harnesses (which for the most part date from the 18th century) of the so-called "imperial team" (G 1) and were driven by riding coachmen and lackeys in "Spanish livery". Made of black-yellow velvet this was the highest-ranking livery of employees of the Office of the Master of the Horses and was worn only on extraordinarily festive occasions. The carriage, harnesses and livery have been preserved in the collections of the Kunsthistorische Museum. (MKR)