She's a local hero in my village. Her bronze bust is located on our seashore, her gaze forever locked on the sea she loved so dearly. She wrote a beautiful poem after her visit in 1885, only to never return. When reading this poem, it becomes clear that at least she had some moments of happiness here.

Fun fact: This portrait was used as inspiration for Christine's gown and hair in the "Think of Me" scene from the 2004 Phantom of the Opera movie.

Given her abuse of her own body, it’s quite remarkable that she was 60 years old when assassinated. The tragic story of her only son Rudolph was made into a movie with Omar Sharif, as the son called Mayerling, which is the place that the suicide occurred. As a result of him dying, the heirship went to his cousin Franz Ferdinand who in turn was assasinated resulting in the start of WW1.

The epitome of the girl who has everything and nothing. Her sister, Sophie, died in a fire at a charity bazaar the year before Sisi died. Sophie refused to leave until all those working for her had been rescued. She had to be identified by her teeth. *Edited for spelling

I was assigned to make a presentation on Sissi in history class. It was so tragic to hear everything she was going through and what she was doing to herself. She definitely didn't deserve the treatment that her mother-in-law gave her :((

The obsessive and rigid routines Sisi established over her appearance, hair, and body reminds me of a driving force behind anorexia. The Victim is trying to establish control over something (eating and weight) because other aspects of their life are so very out of control.

Hearing her say how she couldn’t have consented to a marriage at 15, it’s so tragic. Also the way her later husband described her “beauty” by emphasizing her pubescence and youth, ugh. 🤢

The best part of her history is when she was based in Corfu and sailing away in Greece. She even got a tattoo like an old sailor

If you read some of what her family and friends were writing about her at the time of her assassination, many of them, including her daughter Marie Valerie, believed that her trip to Geneva was suicide. Franz Joseph warned her repeatedly about the dangers of visiting Geneva. There was an uptick of violent assaults on royals and other wealthy people for the months immediately leading up to SiSi’s visit to Switzerland. The grief of her loss was of course immense, but even her husband, and surviving children and grandchildren were somewhat soothed by the fact that SiSi got what she wanted. Her death brought an end to a life of misery and she was also spared the ravages of time - old age and geriatric illnesses. She hated loosing her youth and beauty and would’ve hated becoming old. So it’s not hard to see that she planned this trip with death in mind.

her son also had a fascinating life. Rudolf was supposed to have the classic military education with stuff like being woken up by pouring cold water over his face, living on a diet of bread and water and other things that were supposed to toughen him up. But as he was pretty sensitive (and also six years old) he was mainly traumatized and became extremely unhappy. Sisi used what power she had to take charge of his education and went in a radically different direction. His teachers were university professors, jewish men (pretty uncommon back then), multiple teachers of his actually had participated in an attempted democratic revolution right before Rudolf's birth. So Rudolf became a pretty radical anti monarchist and hated the Catholic Church with a passion. Because of his political views, his father never took him serious or gave him any real power as crown prince. He tried influencing things through conversations with politicians and important people, as he had all the connections. He even wrote anonymous anti-monarchy articles for the most progressive paper in all of Austria - the editor was a good friend of Rudolfs. But even those articles had to be toned down, otherwise they would risk the entire newspaper being shut down. It never got better, Rudolf was passionate about politics and was looking forward to being emperor (he said in an ideal world he'd be a democratically elected president). So he killed himself. Franz Ferdinand, his cousin, became heir and was shot some years later in Serbia, kickstarting WWI. He said himself he was very similar to his mother but she was never really there for him. Also his daughter Elisabeth had the nickname of "red erzsi" since she married a socialist.

While Marie Valerie was called as "the Hungarian child", at the end she had strong antipathy to Hungary. She had to spend lots of time in Hungary, was taught by a Hungarian bishop, and the servants were allowed to speak Hungarian only in front of her. Being forced to be a Hungarian princess, plus the rumors about her being an illegitimate child of Hungarian prime minister count Gyula Andrássy had a huge impact on her feelings towards Hungary. She worshipped his father and her german roots.

People denied youth are often the most afraid of getting old. Mentally, you're still "catching up" (catching down? is that a thing?) because you lost many years of your childhood and life; Being forced to be an adult and to take on responsibilities far beyond your experience. By the time you are actually an adult, it feels like most of your life is over. You're not ready to be old because you never got to be young. Spoken from experience. It's sad that Cici never got a chance to live beyond her eating disorders and body dysmorphia to find a truly happy life. I'm actually excited about old age and retirement cause I'm EXHAUSTED. Please put me in a old folk's home so I can rest.

Ugh this poor woman. Eating disorder, self harming, bullied by her MIL, it’s all terrible 😢

Elizabeth obviously suffered from PTSD, exhibiting all the classic symptoms, self-harm, OCD…how sad.

She was indeed beautiful. Such a sad story. I was not aware of the ending, but have watched the Netflix series (Germany) called The Empress. Season one covers the beginning of the story, though it appears fictionalized to some extent. The actress they chose looks very much like her. It sounds like she definitely had an eating disorder, but unlike most young women who suffer from this issue today, she was married off at 15 and thrust into an impossible life. Your presentations are always so well done; succinct and well spoken, with a bit of dry humor. I'm always so irritated by history videos with awful scripts, mispronunciations, and/or those horrible AI voices. You are a breath of fresh air.

When her son died, she lamented that her mark on Austria died with him. If only she knew that wasn’t true, as she’s one of the most beloved people in Austrian history.

...How can you kill a woman who is already dead and call it your crowning achievement?

"She was now also enslaved by her own beauty." That hit me like a brick wall.

In Hungary, legend has it that Sissi's closed smile was due to her losing her teeth because of syphilis, which her husband contracted and passed on to her. Sometimes I think about the Mona Lisa how her smile also gives off this mysterious vibe because of the thinly closed mouth - yet the reason might be oh so very ordinary... Thank you for the great video!

Poor Sissi... she probably thought beauty was the only thing valuable about her, because it was the only positive attention received from people close to her. May she have found peace after death.

I love these art reviews so much!

Sissi's story really speaks to me. I've had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety, feeling like my entire life was outside of my control, and the only outlet and control i had was on my appearance. For me it was a healthy escapism from my own mind, and i eventually got better and stuff, but it's true that for a moment i was completely devout to looking good, and when i didn't wear makeup or have a good outfit on i felt misserable. It's a hard balance to make

She was beautiful, and wanted for nothing. But she was treated with cruelty. To feel that outside of providing heirs that she was worthless. Her story makes me think of Princess Diana.

the trilogy "Sissi" which is loosely based on her life is shown every Christmas in Germany, possibly Austria too? The costumes are absolutely georgeous. She also wrote devastatingly beautiful poems

It's amazing how random, seemingly innocuous events can have such an effect on history and a personal life. If they hadn't lost their luggage, if she hadn't looked so fabulous in black, if her aunt hadn't been so power-mad... I wonder what her life would have been like if her sister had become empress, as intended.

She literally had no control over her life. It’s no wonder she developed an eating disorder and mental health issues. Talk about the mother-in-law from hell…incredible portraits. Another great video.

Brava! One can't truly learn about art without learning the history of the time in which it was created. I have degrees in art history and fine arts, and I learn so much from your channel. Thank you.

They dropped the ball for not making a movie about this beautiful woman. Thank you for bringing her tragic story to light. I hope the person who revealed she was there know what they did to her for many days. She did not deserve that..Bless her...

Wow... Poor Sisi. :( Amazing video on this! I'm glad I can learn more about paintings instead of just seeing them as "master studies" for doing my own artwork. I love the depth.

I already knew Sissi’s tragic story but hearing it in combination with this painting really hits hard😢

I heard her story before and just wish I could give her a big hug. And give her assassin a biographical account of her life... preferably Clockwork Orange style.

Although sad, her life story is truly fascinating. I wrote an entire research paper on this painting in my last year of university and I had such an amazing time researching her life and diving into her mind!

Damn. Your channel isn't just "about paintings," but a well-rounded and in-depth look at history and human experience. Thank you so much.

Great video! She is very dear to hungarians. This video also came at a perfect time, since today is the Foundation day in Hungary. As a child, I remember there was a Sisi cartoon, I used to watch. She learned the hungarian language, and she spoke to us in hungarian when she was crowned to be the Hungarian queen. The people who she trusted the most were hungarian, Festecsics Mária and also Andássy.

I've seen the painting and the famous hair clips when I went to Wien, I always felt like there was a bigger story to it that what we saw there. Thanks for revealing it

Thank you for always making these so entertaining and rich. I'd say she was cursed by her husband since the begining when he chose her, if only did he stand up for her specially when his mother took his first born away from CeCe I think this whole spiral of suffering would've not been perpetrated for so long.

i've been waiting for a video on this painting! so beautiful, but the story behind it is fascinatingly tragic. thanks! 💗💗

It's a family tradition to name our pets after famous people/things. Former examples are Genghis Khan, Sputnik, Boudica, and the wild west outlaw Black Bart. But when my parents became parents to a new kitten, they named her SiSi. I love learning about our pets' namesakes. Thanks for this!

Sissi's cursed life is so intense, it even extended to the actresses that played her. Ironically she herself was not a good mother in law herself. her son hated his wife and was whoring around a lot where he caught syphilis and passed it to his wife. The poor couple was so unhappy, they even asked the pope for annulment. Which was denied. Her son was a lot like Sissi in character but the harsh militaristic upbringing was the cause of his depression. The pope's answer was the last straw and he ended his life.

Romy Schneider’s Sissi was unforgettable.

I feel like her life would make an amazing movie. Kind of one where you get to see the public perception and then her personal perspective and how she was trying her best, but everyone only had bad things to say. Truly heartbreaking life

When I was about 5-7 years old I adored Sisi so much! I‘m German and there was an animated show of Sissi, idk if it aired in other countries. My parents even drove to Vienna with me, because I was such a big fan of her. But when I was about 12 years old, I learned more about her real life, which was so tragic! But it was also fascinating. I also read her poems, which are very interesting and beautiful. 💕

This is the painting that inspired Christine Daae's hair design in the 2004 Phantom of the Opera movie, during "Think of Me"!!!

I love your videos, please never stop making these. ❤

Sissi: The Young Empress, starring Romy Schneider as Sisi and Karlheinz Böhm as Emperor Franz, was one of my favorite movies to see when I was a child. I continued to watch it even though I couldn't understand German. (There was no sub available back then.)

This painting inspired the outfit for Christin Daaé in Phantom of the Opera when she’s performing for the in-movie musical “Hannibal”.

For people interested in more, the TV series Fall of Eagles is on KZfaq. There's two Sissi episodes: the young Sissi, and the older Empress, at the time of her son's death.

Perfect timing! I had never heard of Cici until a couple of weeks ago when a documentary on her life popped up in my recommended page on KZfaq. Her story fascinated me. Then you post this! ❤

She was so beautiful, just stunning. I hope that she has found peace somewhere.

Thank you for sharing Sisi's story!

Surprisingly little here regarding Art, but much of historical interest, and expertly narrated as usual. Thank you

She’s one of my favorite historical figures! There’s a Netflix show about her now.

I’ve never been particularly interested in paintings, or “real” art in general…but I love your channel, and finding out the backstories for paintings I’ve never looked twice at before, or never knew existed in the first place. I’m always so excited when a new video is posted!

I had the Sisi Barbie doll, but no one ever told me her story. I thought she was just beautiful, no idea how sad she was.

Another great video and longer than usual which is, of course, a bonus! 😊

To no longer be desired... That hits home...

Wow, I really relate to Cici. As a teen I had undiagnosed ADHD and OCD, and really struggled with math/science and understanding how the heck people work socially. I remember thinking, “I can’t be smart, but at least I can be beautiful.” I have a pretty face, so I worked out constantly and was very severe with myself in Weight Watchers. I was 5’6’’ and roughly 128 lbs. I always wore the cutest clothes I could get my hands on. I felt like everything in my life was confusing and terrifying, but at least I could control how I looked. I’ve gained weight since then (about 25lbs) and constantly feel like a pig. I don’t wear the pretty clothes anymore and can’t really wear makeup because everything makes my eyes burn (mascara, liner, even eyeshadow sometimes). I’m working on not caring. It’s feels like such a diva thing to be complaining about, but it stems from a super unhealthy place of feeling out of control, terrified and very alone. I’m trying to feel more comfortable in my skin. But as a result, I’ve had the courage to make more relationships and finally get a feel for who I am, not on how I want people to think about me.

I visited the Hapsburg palace a few years ago. That’s where I first learned of “Sissy”. Her life was so tragic, even with all that wealth. She had exercise rings hanging down from the doorways I’m the palace. Can you imagine her using those in all those big skirts? Hapsburg is the Versailles of Austria. And the museum with it has relics I never dreamed even existed! It’s very underrated and worth a visit .

The tragedy of how humans can be broken down by others from their early years throughout their lives and restricted to the extremes to stay sane… and how they try questionable coping strategies - interestingly resonates to present practices and mental health problems… What an incredible story…also very human and sad…

I have read that prior to becoming engaged to the emperor Sisi had been in love with a young man who was below her rank and due to her parents’ disapproval he was sent away so they could forget one another. If I’m not mistaken, she was devastated when he became ill and died (?). And it’s amazing that considering her very strict diet she still had all that hair. One would think that starving yourself would culminate in hair loss 🤨

Very well researched. I never realized that what I thought were stars in her hair were Edelweiss.

I love empress sisi❤

The stories you tell about the painting makes them so much more intriguing.

An art and history lesson all in one and I love it!! 🙌🏾

Thank you so much for yet another entertaining and educational video! I love when the context behind an artwork is discussed and you always do it with such storytelling grace.

What was her mother-in-law’s name again? Agrippina? Franz, the “Emperor,” should have told his mommy to mind her own business and he should have devoted his attention to his wife. Weakling. I was not familiar with this very tragic story. Elizabeth was abused virtually her entire life only to be murdered by a vain and empty poseur. Isn’t Politics grand? 😒 Thanks for making this video. The contrast between her beautiful portrait and the reality of her life is jarring.

The struggles and complexities of Empress Elizabeth's life are truly heartbreaking. Despite her outward beauty and position of power, she grappled with inner turmoil and societal expectations. It's a poignant reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and that true happiness often eludes those trapped in the confines of others' expectations.

Your videos are some of my favorites. You convey your knowledge of art without being haughty. I Get excited when I see you upload.😀

In some ways, I feel I can relate to her. When I was young, I was 5’9” and a size 3. I didn’t starve myself, I just had a really high metabolism and could eat what I wanted and not gain weight (it was weird and a bit frustrating). I didn’t think much of my looks, but some people said I was pretty… I was definitely curvy at least… In any case, I got married just before I turned 26 to my husband and I almost didn’t for one reason and one reason only… my future in-laws. They didn’t like me and, as I later found out, they didn’t like any of the women their sons married. Over the years, however, I was the only one who stuck around. My oldest brother-in-law is on his third marriage and the middle one was married twice and is now married to his work. My husband and I have only been married to each other, over 24 years. Now I’m 50… I’ve shrunk some due to surgical menopause and osteoporosis. I’m not the thin girl I once was (for the same reason and my metabolism slowing). I’m showing signs of age that I don’t like. I still don’t look 50, but I don’t look like that young girl anymore. And believe me, you realize that other men and even your own husband don’t look at you the way they used to anymore… I know how poor Sisi felt. Worse, she had to put up a good front because she was an empress, so she had to keep up appearances. Then to be stabbed by some idiot on his own crazy crusade when she had never hurt anyone but had been hurt most of her life? That’s just tragic. Thank you for sharing her story. I like to learn about historical figures and I’d never heard of her before. She’s certainly one I’ll never forget. She’s made her mark and quit the impression on me.

Such a delight to watch and as someone reading so many books and watching her movies and documentaries over and over I‘m happy how accurate this sums up her life

The cruelty of Sophie crushing Sisi under her heel in order to maintain her own power ... was Sophie also a product, or was she (as so often depicted) a calculating, power driven, politico. Sisi herself was an archetypical example of exerting control over the very little she had left to her - she is considered to have suffered anorexia, anxiety and depression ... Child marriage, the rigours and contraints of the 'Spanish style' of Court, and the theft of her children 3 of them before she was 20 ... no wonder the poor girl became hopelessly 'lost.' Excellent video and history.

Poor woman, just wanted to give all the bottled up love to her daughter, who in turn felt it's best if she keeps some distance later. It also didn't help that Marie Valerie was "the Hungarian child" and a lot of people suspected that she was born from an affair between Sissi and Count Andrássy who always tried to develop a more close relationship with her, and Marie Valerie wasn't really happy about it because of the implications.

My eyes sparkled when I saw it's 18 minutes long... ❤❤❤ i love your videos to bits.

The old BBC series "Fall of Eagles" is an excellent dramatization of the collapse of the Hapsburgs, Hohenzollerns, and Romanovs if you can find it.

The way you did this video, I was left with a lump in the throat 😢 I felt like I knew her by the end and even know I was familiar with her name I never learned any about her life so everything you said was new to me. If I ever see any painting (an special the beautiful one the at the end) of her, then because of your video I will have a totally different emotional response than if I never watched it. Thank you .

A truly fascinating history lesson, beautifully presented.. thank you! 👏👍

This is so sad 😢 Thanks for another great story!

Thank you for this video. It's so insightful. I grew up in Europe, and we used to watch a cartoon about her called Sissi. I agree with the ending. I don't know why they called her modern and ahead of her time. She oppressed herself. She was clearly beauty sick. I think she had some undiagnosed mental issues. It's sad and we shouldn't want that for anyone in modern times

Thank you. Excellent job of creating a concise synopsis covering most pertinent facts of her life. 👏

Could you one day make a video on Artemisia Gentileschi? She was truly a girlboss ❤

my mood always brightens up seeing another video from you guys

I am obsessed with Sissi since my teenage years and just recently came accross the musical which is a huge hit in Japan and is performed every few years by various theater companies over there. What a complex fascinating woman Sissi was, just like her cousin Ludwig who died in tragic circumstances as well. I know it's a very romanticezed version of Sissi's life but the only portrayals I accept of Sissi are the ones by Romi Schneider in the Sissi trilogy, but I also love Romi in Ludwig by Luchino Visconti, a more realistic account of both Sissi and her equally tragic cousin's life.

that is absolutely bizarre, i very recently went to vienna and visited the palaces and learned about sisi for the first time, and now you’ve done a video on her! a truly strange coincidence

I never knew any of this, thank you. If you'd like to learn an equally fascinating story look up Ludwig II of Bavaria, Sisi's cousin and closest confidant.

I’ve been waiting for you to do this one! This is one paintings of my favourite of all time ❤❤

I read a fictional diary of hers once. It was an off-shoot of the “Dear America” books: “The Royal Diaries.” It ended just as she was anticipating her wedding night…but then at the end of the book, it gives you a lesson on the the actual happenings and, yeah, it was all downhill from there. Poor girl. Thought she was getting a fairytale and ended up living a nightmare.😔

yay so happy youre doing longer videos love your content keen for as much as possible! :))

Yay! I’m excited to watch the video despite the fact that the woman portrayed in the photo was sad! Because you’re videos are really good! Thank you!!!

What a sad story, but how interesting. I’m happy for your channels growth! I really enjoy your videos! Congrats 🎉

😢 thank you for such insightful explanation, perfectly paced and presented. So glad I found your channel. Cheers from England.

The best overview of a period, based off a painting, yet! You rock Art Decco!!

I’m so happy you’ve uploaded!

Thank you for another outstanding video! You blend entertainment, education, and aethtics with the perfect amount of snark. ❤

this was such a good video, i always love ur content but with the extra amount of background information this was so refined and an informative experience yet still so entertaining without losing either sides, education n entertainment. thank u for this

One of your best videos. I appreciate all the work to make the videos. Thank you!

Holy shit I wasn't expecting it to be this sad. On another note, I like how you provide lots of historical background in your videos. Love your channel

I knew about her when I stumbled across a trailer of a musical about her in KZfaq ( I cannot say the events are wholly accurate, but it is interesting to explore what might have been her relationship with death and mortality) That portrait of her is so iconic.

Oooooh a longer video!! Let’s gooooo!

Oh how do I express my gratitude to you for uploading early

She's beautiful but sad, gorgeous piece