Archduke Ernest of Austria

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:One source Template:Infobox royalty

Archduke Ernest of Austria (Template:Langx; 15 June 1553 – 20 February 1595)<ref name="BLKO-Ernst"/> was an Austrian prince, the son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria of Spain.

Biography

Born in Vienna, he was educated with his brother Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, in the court of Spain.<ref name="BLKO-Ernst"/> He was a candidate in the 1573 Polish–Lithuanian royal election for the throne of Poland. He lost his election as the Polish nobility feared that he might attempt to become an autocrat and revoke the privileges that Polish nobles enjoyed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> From 1576 onwards, he was governor in the Archduchy of Austria, where he promoted the Counter-Reformation. In 1590, he became governor of Inner Austria as regent for his young cousin Ferdinand, and from 1594 to 1595 he served as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands.

He died in Brussels on 20 February 1595 and was eventually succeeded in the Netherlands by his brother Albert. Ernest owned the Months of the Year cycle series of works painted by Pieter Bruegel the Elder; one painting, High Spring (showing April or May) is lost):

The Gloomy Day (February/March)
A 1565 Brugel sketch "Spring" although not part of the Months cycle series it could very well be similar to what Bruegel had in mind when he painted "High Spring" {April/May)
The Hay Harvest (June/July)
The Harvesters (August/September)
The Return of the Herd (October/November)
The Hunters in the Snow (December/January)