Renæssanceforum 4 • 2008

Sheila ffolliott
European Women Patrons of Art and Architecture, c. 1500-1650. Some Patterns

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This paper examines some of the ways in which the electress Anna of Saxony (1532-1585) acted as a patron of the Saxon church and its clergy as well as the potential impact of the consort’s patronage on the confessional developments of electoral Saxony. Departing from the content of the electress’s correspondence, the analysis brings attention to the fact that early modern women also – and perhaps particularly – bestowed personal patronage that resulted in less visible and less tangible products than the art and architectural works that tend to dominate the study of female patronage.