Joseph, Archduke of Austria (1741-1790) was the fourth child and first son of the Emperor Franz Stephan and Empress Maria-Theresia. He succeeded his father as Emperor Joseph II in 1765. With his parents, he is one of the rare sitters to have been portrayed by Liotard three times; in 1744 aged four, the current work from 1762 when he was twenty-one years old and again in 1778 during Liotard’s third visit to Vienna. The fact that the Joseph II came to visit Liotard was passing through Geneva on 14th July 1777 attests to the strong ties between the artist and the imperial family. The fresh-faced Archduke is shown in a brilliant pale blue jacket with shimmering embroidery and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The crimson ribbon and black bow provide a lively contrast to the paler colours of the rest of his costume. In his right hand he holds a fortification plan which is voluntarily sketchy and is a reference to the young prince’s military training. Liotard created two pastels of this composition simultaneously. The other version, with minimal differences, is in the collection of Prince Karl zu Schwarzenberg in Vienna. The Vienna sheet does not have the lightly indicated window in the left background which Liotard seems to have added to fill the space.