Patronage and Dynasty

This collection of essays offers a thorough study of the patron-artist relationship through the eyes of one of early modern Italy's most powerful and influential historical families. Contributors present a longitudinal study of the della Rovere family's ascent into Italian nobility. They were a family of popes, cardinals, and powerful dukes who financed some of the world's best known and greatest artwork. These essays explore the issues of identity and its maintenance, of carving a permanent spot for a family name in a rapidly changing atmosphere. Although these studies depart from art patronage, they uncover how the della Rovere family constituted their identity.