Vienna, Sissi's iconic portrait replaced with a poem: dismantle superficial image

A new image of Empress Sissi on the occasion of Women’s Day. This is what the Sissi Museum based in the ViennaHofburg intends to do from March 1 until the end of the month, believing that the image that has been fixed of her in the collective imagination is outdated. For the past 125 years, in fact, people have looked mainly at elements such as beauty, grooming and the drama of her story. The real Sissi, however, was something else: this is the museum’s thesis. Thus, to convey this new idea of Sissi, at the Hofburg the iconic and famous portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter executed in 1865 is replaced with a poem, Sisi’s New Portrait.

Nineteenth-century Vienna, as is well known, is inextricably linked with Empress Elisabeth. The fascination that surrounds her is well-known, and her story is continually being reenacted, thus catering to a new and global audience. From the well-known romantic films starring Romy Schneider in the 1950s toEmpress (the new miniseries for Netflix) and the feature film Corsage, each generation has created its own version of Sissi. The spotlight, however, has always been on the same elements, according to the museum: her beauty, her clothes, her depression, her eating disorders, her sporting excesses, her alleged escapades, and her quest for eternal youth.

The real woman, empress and mother, remained increasingly in the background. Although she left a lasting legacy, she is remembered only for her outward appearance and dramas. “For the young Sissi,” declares Michael Wohlfart, curator of the Sissi Museum, “the concept of beauty did not exist. As soon as she arrived at the court in Vienna she understood that what was expected of her was just that. Her appearance was instrumentalized. Painting the famous 1865 portrait of the empress was Franz Xaver Winterhalter, an iconic painter for the Sissi myth who helped spread her fame and beauty around the world.”

And just to dismantle this superficial image and bring to light Empress Elisabeth’s true personality, her most famous depiction, Winterhalter’s original canvas, has been covered with an entirely new and distinctive portrait of Sissi since March 1. The idea is to lead the visitor to reflect on who this iconic staff member really was: to go beyond the concept of beauty. And then here her achievements, her qualities, her emotions emerge. Sisi’s New Portrait does this by showcasing essential, minimalist poetry that recounts events concerning the empress that have been lost behind her image.

The Vienna Tourist Board is promoting this initiative in cooperation with the Sissi Museum, the Vienna Furniture Museum-both institutions belonging to the Schönbrunn Group-and Hotel Imperial. Sisi’s New Portrait, as anticipated, will remain on display until the end of March at the Sisi Museum, Hotel Imperial and the Furniture Museum.

The new portrait, with the poem’s distinctive graphic design, aims to make people think about what they take for granted and to change their point of view. The viewer arrives with preconceptions that quickly change when discovering certain actions he did during his lifetime: supporting refugees and asserting the autonomy of the Hungarian people.

Elfriede Iby, head of the Schönbrunn Group’s science section says, “Sissi was a forerunner of her time in many ways. She was a strategically very intelligent woman: even if her opinion ’officially’ counted for nothing, Sissi was fully aware of the effect her gestures had on the public. Her numerous poems, an outlet for addressing issues related to politics, society, and family in an ironic and focused way, shed light on her opinions and feelings.”

The image of women is felt to be a more important issue than ever, for which so many are fighting all over the world and which International Women’s Day, March 8, commemorates in a special way. And it was, after all, not only Sissi who was repeatedly labeled over the years: thus, the portrait aims to question the basis of how the female figure is perceived in our society, and the visual formula clearly highlights that even today women’s appearance often overshadows their merits and talents. The initiative was born in the joint creative workshop of the Vienna Tourist Board and the Jung von Matt DONAU agency. The goal of this innovation partnership is to develop out-of-the-box communication solutions that advance “the brand of Vienna” and set new benchmarks.

“On the occasion of March 8, Women’s Day, which we will extend to the entire month, we wish to provide a stage for the talents and legacies in the artistic, technical or social fields of extraordinary female personalities who worked in Vienna,” says Norbert Kettner, director of the Vienna Tourist Board. “Empress Elisabeth is just one of many women who have remained in the collective memory for centuries mainly for outward aspects. ’Sisi’s New Portrait’ presents us with a pioneer whose work has often been overshadowed by the image of her person in pop culture. Vienna, the city where Sissi lived, worked and acted, today continues to be a great magnet for the public, is certainly the most appropriate place to pay homage to the Empress’ true legacy.”

The poem

You want to see Sisi.
For her beauty, her glory, her victory.
You want to see Sisi.
For her dresses,
her hair, her excesses.
You want to see Sisi.
For the drama, the obsession,
the supposed depression.
But if you only see.
What you want to see.
You’ll fail to see.
That her legacy helps today’s refugees.
That she believed in people’s autonomy.
That she loved to learn.
That her convictions were stern.
You’ll fail to see.
That she suffered like the rest of us.
Like the best of us.
So whenever you see
Sisi’s victory, glory, beauty.
Never again fail to see.
The real Sisi.
Remember women for who they were.
Not for what they looked like.

Vienna, Sissi's iconic portrait replaced with a poem: dismantle superficial image

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