Rudolf von Habsburg Handing over his Horse to a Priest
by ARTHOIS, Jacques d', Oil on canvas, 207 x 284 cm
This unusual subject is taken from the Chronicon Helveticum written by Aegidius Tschudi (1505-72). Whilst out hunting, Graf Rudolf von Habsburg comes across a priest taking the viaticum to the dying, and in a show of piety hands over his horse for the priest to use.
The figures kneeling beside the path in the foreground are probably portraits of the patron’s family members.