The full-length painting of Emperor Joseph I, together with further 13 portraits of Habsburg rulers, forms an ancestral portrait gallery.

Over his armour, the sovereign wears a red, ermine-lined cloak, the yellow sash of a commander and the Order of the Golden Fleece. A staff of command and a plumed helmet complete the equipment of a commander. Next to him is a portrait of his brother, Emperor Karl VI. Both were painted by the same artist, Jacob Zanusi from northern Italy. Since 1711, Zanusi had been court painter to Prince-Archbishop Harrach, who commissioned the two paintings. They testify to Harrach’s close ties with the Austrian ruling family.

This painting conforms in style to that of the official state portrait at the imperial court. It demonstrates the decisiveness of the ruler, who waged numerous wars.