Date of Award
2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Visual Arts
Supervisor
Dr. Madeline Lennon
Abstract
This project synthesizes the role of art patronage in the reign of Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici in Florence, 1537-1574. I propose that Cosimo’s ambition for personal power and a prominent spot in posterity created new standards and meanings for the fine arts in Renaissance Florence. Cosimo’s ambition for political and cultural dominance was not isolated, as Cosimo : adopted while modifying the Medici legacy of patronage. Despite generations of Medicean dominance: in Florence, Cosimo diverged in art patronage by commissioning works of art that fashioned his identity as the state's authority. Modern scholars have identified Cosimo as an astute politician whose most important, contributions ; to the , history of Florence were : the establishment of his authority and stabilization of. government. ; This project adds to the scholarship, illustrating the legacies and divergences of Cosimo from his progenitors. Chapter one explores the meanings of Cosimo's collection of regal self-portraits. Chapter two traces a time-line of Cosimo's ancestors to establish what Cosimo inherited and where he departed from the over-arching Medicean legacy. Chapter three focuses on the Uffizi with analysis revolving around how Cosimo entrenched his authority.
Recommended Citation
Cyr, Julia Ivy, "VISIONS OF POWER: THE ART PATRONAGE OF DUKE COSIMO I DE’ MEDICI In sixteenth-Century Florence" (2010). Digitized Theses. 4400.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4400