Renæssanceforum 2 • 2006

Ulrik Reindel
The canopy of virtue – the King as guarantor of science, art, and prosperity

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In the 1580s, King Frederik II had the Banqueting Hall at Kronborg Castle furnished with tapestries depicting 100 Danish kings, who had supposedly ruled since the founding of the realm. During banquets, the royal couple was seated beneath a magnificent canopy, which supplemented the tapestries and manifested the splendour of the hall. This article examines the rich iconography of the canopy that offered a symbolic image of a God-fearing king, whose just government was a condition for the prosperity of the kingdom and the blossoming of art and science.