▁Academy ▁his ▁letter ▁of ▁res ignation . ▁ ▁When ▁em peror ▁Franz ▁Joseph ▁I ▁of ▁Austria ▁visited ▁Ant werp ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁June ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁L ens ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁ar range ▁an ▁inv itation ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁em peror ▁the ▁art works ▁in ▁the ▁C athedral ▁of ▁Ant werp . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁invited ▁by ▁the ▁em peror ▁to ▁join ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁carriage ▁to ▁show ▁him ▁other ▁art istic ▁highlight s ▁in ▁Ant werp . ▁ ▁Im pressed ▁by ▁the ▁artist ▁who ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁disc ourse ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁fl uent ▁French , ▁the ▁em peror ▁invited ▁L ens ▁to ▁follow ▁him ▁to ▁Vienna ▁as ▁a ▁court ▁painter . ▁L ens ▁had ▁to ▁decl ine ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁marry ▁Pet ron ella ▁Jose pha ▁de ▁Su em oy ▁in ▁Br uss els . ▁ ▁In ▁Prince ▁Albert ▁Cas imir , ▁Duke ▁of ▁T esch en , ▁the ▁successor ▁of ▁Prince ▁Charles ▁Alexander ▁of ▁Lor raine ▁as ▁governor ▁general ▁of ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁Netherlands , ▁L ens ▁found ▁a ▁new ▁patron . ▁ ▁The ▁Prince ▁commission ed ▁him ▁to ▁decor ate ▁his ▁apart ments ▁in ▁the ▁Castle ▁of ▁La eken ▁near ▁Br uss els . ▁ ▁These ▁works ▁were ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁Vienna . ▁ ▁L ens ▁maintained ▁a ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁Swiss ▁Ne oc lass ic ▁painter ▁Jul ien ▁de ▁Par me , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁published . ▁ ▁The ▁B rab ant ▁Revolution ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 9 ▁and ▁the ▁later