Archduke Johann and Anna Plochl left important traces in the development of viticulture in Maribor. Archduke Johann established in 1832 the first viticultural school in Styria was founded in Meranovo near Maribor in Slovenia. Today, Meranovo is home to the Faculty of Agriculture and Biosystems Science at the University of Maribor.
The watercolour of Archduke Johann and Anna Plochl was created by Matthäus Loder in 1823 and belongs to the Biedermeier period, which lasted from 1815 to 1848. The Biedermeier period was characterised by women’s clothing made of soft cotton fabrics, fine wool and Chinese silk. Men’s clothing was also often complemented by a fine silk scarf tied into a tie.
The historical background of the painting, the clothing from the Biedermeier period and information about the patterns of Archduke Johann’s and Anna’s dress collected at the Kammerhofmuseum Ba d Aussee in Austria, Anna’s place of origin, formed the basis for the creation of virtual replicas using digital technologies.
Archduke Johann’s dress consists of a shirt made of fine cotton, knee-length leather trousers with straps and a woollen coat, which were characteristic of the rural style of dress. A silk neckerchief is knotted under the shirt collar.
The Annas’ dress consists of a blouse with a fine cotton underskirt, a bodice with a silk skirt and a fine cotton apron. The dress was decorated with a silk lace collar and cuff and silk scarf tied around the neck and tucked under the straps of the bodice.
