Dangerous Liaison...

Rudolf and Mary in the Turkish Room at the Hofburg

The sketch above is based on a contemporary engraving of the Turkish Room in Crown Prince Rudolf's private apartments at the Hofburg. The original shows Rudolf's wife,  Princess Stephanie, perched tentatively on the edge of a chair near the curtained doorway while Rudolf is depicted standing awkwardly on the other side of the entrance.
It all looks terribly formal and not very relaxing. 
I've redrawn it with a chilled Rudolf seated on the central divan in a passionate clinch with Mary who has practically thrown herself on top of him in wild abandon. It could be more X-cert than this, I suppose, but er, (that's quite enough --ed!) I've also hinted that a manservant may be taking a peep at them from behind the curtained doorway. I have no idea if the real Mary and Rudolf would have had a tryst in this room. I think Rudolf did entertain his close circle of friends here, but there is also something a bit artificial about the set-up of the decor, too. In a way it's a 'what I did on my travels' kind of hobby/showpiece. Some of the original furnishings and fittings from the Turkish room can be seen in the Hofmobiliendepot (Furniture) Museum in Vienna-- a must-see.