Elisabeth of Bavaria - Empress Sisi - Hapsburgs Mouse Pad

Reproduction of a 19th Century aquatint of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Elisabeth of Bavaria) by William Unger after the famous portrait of the young Empress by Franz Schrotzberg. The painting of Elisabeth by Schrotzberg, after which this engraving was made, is one of only a few portaits for which the Empress sat in person for the artist. It is conisdered to be one of the most accurate representations of her true appearance. Empress Sisi (December 24, 1837 – September 10, 1898) Known from an early age as Sisi, Elisabeth of Bavaria (Kaiserin Elisabeth) was the empress consort of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Elisabeth's distaste for court life and the Hapsburgs was legendary, and she took to a life of travel. The story of Sisi's life, as the ultimate poor little rich girl – the tragic victim of a stifling imperial lifestyle - has elevated her to a kind of cult status. Her lifestory was popularized by three romantic German "Sissi" films starring Romy Schneider. The films enjoyed a popularity and familiarity in Germany and Austria similar to that of "The Sound of Music" or "The Wizard of Oz" in the United States. Sisi was stabbed to death as she walked along Geneva's lakefront on September 10, 1889 by an anarchist named Luigi Lucheni who wanted to kill a member of royalty. As she lay dying from a puncture would to the heart, Sissi's last words were reported to be: "What happened to me?"