The Glamorous Leopold I by Benjamin Block
Leopold I was yet another interesting face courtesy of the Habsburg Dynasty. Of course, this particular royal was far more glamorous than the other Habsburg we’ve seen in this list. He was the “glamor boy” of the Holy Roman Empire. His entire rule was defined by two things: tirelessly campaigning against the Ottomans and French and looking absolutely fabulous while doing it. But that doesn’t mean that his portraits weren’t a train wreck. Leopold I was a member of the Habsburg Dynasty. Despite his imperial legacy—and the rather loud armour he’s donning in the portrait—he shied away from military life, dedicating his time to music, hunting, riding, and ruling as an absolute monarch.
The artist, Benjamin Block, came from a family of painters. Both his brothers were painters, as was his father Daniel. (Some might have described him as a chip off the old Block). He was “blessed” with that defining family feature: the Habsburg Jaw. And it was a prominent jaw at that. For his iconic look and status, a coin type was minted in 1670 after his likeness… which displayed his jaw to comedic effect. Due to this, he earned the nickname, “The Hogmouth.” But what is it about the Habsburg Jaw? Why does it keep coming up? More than likely this is due to inbreeding within the royal lines. But this was not the only unfortunate gene the Habsburgs could inherit. The family was also riddled with epilepsy, gout, depression and dropsy. Other royals in the Habsburg family were so hindered by the Habsburg Jaw that they even had trouble eating.