This black & white painting by Heinrich Olivier shows Prussia’s Frederick William III, Russia’s Alexander I, and Austria’s Francis II dressed as medieval knights and posing in an elaborate Gothic cathedral. The three stand at the center of the floor in open stances intended to show off their power, and behind them, statues of saints line the walls. The image, painted in 1815, is representative of the strong Christian leanings of the leadership in central and eastern Europe and the link between religion and nation during the early 19th century that led to the formation of the Holy Alliance.
