The artistic patronage of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-89)
The purpose of this dissertation is to reconstruct the artistic patronage of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-89), to examine the mechanisms of that patronage, and in particular the role of intermediaries, and finally to consider what can be known of the Cardinal's personal taste and the extent to which it affected the ultimate appearance of the work of art. The study is based on extensive new archival material, as well as printed sources. In the introduction the Cardinal's biography and the character of his court are outlined, and the nature of the source material is discussed. Chapter 2 is a survey which aims to depict the cultural environment in which Alessandro grew up: the patronage of his grandfather Paul III, and his father Pier Luigi Farnese, and especially the projects in which Alessandro himself was involved are covered. In the following two chapters the history of Alessandro's artistic commissions, secular and religious,is reconstructed, and his development in relation to contemporary events is considered. His commissions for works of decorative art, which follow a rather different pattern, are discussed separately in chapter 5. Chapter 6 examthes the role of the Cardinal's various artistic advisers,
Robertson, Elizabeth Clare
History
The artistic patronage of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-89). The purpose of this dissertation is to reconstruct the artistic patronage of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-89), to examine the mechanisms of that patronage, and in particular the role of intermediaries, and finally to consider what can be known of the Cardinal's personal taste and the extent to which it affected the ultimate appearance of the work of art. The study is based on extensive new archival material, as well as printed sources. In the introduction the Cardinal's biography and the character of his court are outlined, and the nature of the source material is discussed. Chapter 2 is a survey which aims to depict the cultural environment in which Alessandro grew up: the patronage of his grandfather Paul III, and his father Pier Luigi Farnese, and especially the projects in which Alessandro himself was involved are covered. In the following two chapters the history of Alessandro's artistic commissions, secular and religious,is reconstructed, and his development in relation to contemporary events is considered. His commissions for works of decorative art, which follow a rather different pattern, are discussed separately in chapter 5. Chapter 6 examthes the role of the Cardinal's various artistic advisers,
artistic patronage cardinal purpose reconstruct artistic patronage cardinal examine mechanism patronage particular_role intermediary finally_consider know cardinal personal taste extent affect ultimate appearance work_art study base_extensive new archival_material well printed source introduction cardinal biography character court outline nature source_material discuss survey aim depict cultural_environment grow patronage paul iii father especially project involve cover follow_two history artistic commission secular religious reconstruct development relation contemporary_event consider commission work decorative art follow rather different_pattern discuss separately role cardinal various artistic adviser