The Chinoiserie Room at Hetzendorf The small Chinoiserie cabinet in the Palace of Hetzendorf, where the conversation between father and daughter takes place, is one of the most brilliant examples of 18th-century Oriental interiors. It was designed by Nicolo Pacassi, though probably influenced by the earlier work of François Cuvilliés. My description of the cabinet in the narrative is based on photographs of its interior, which has been preserved intact to this day.
It was well known that Empress Maria Theresa was an ardent admirer of all things Oriental and exotic. Several famous portraits by Jean-Étienne Liotard and Martin van Meytens depict her in Turkish costume, for instance. On one occasion, Francis Stephen presented her with an exceptional gift – a large cage filled with parrots, cockatoos, and other colourful tropical birds – which Maria Theresa greatly cherished. This fascination with the exotic was not limited to the Empress alone but was widely shared among the European nobility of the time, for whom the possession of such objects signified both refinement and prestige.
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