Public or Private: The Display of Art in Rudolf II’s Imperial Residence at Prague Castle
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Štěpán Vácha
Abstract
The chapter explores the complex relationship between the public and private aspects of Emperor Rudolf II’s art collection at Prague Castle. It emphasizes how the collection served as both a private source of enjoyment and a political tool for imperial self-representation, available to select diplomats and prominent guests. The authors analyze how the arrangement of artworks in various castle spaces, such as private chambers and ceremonial rooms, reflected their levels of accessibility and significance. Art objects were not only displayed for Rudolf’s personal pleasure but also strategically used as a background for diplomatic interactions and political negotiations. Thus, the castle spaces functioned as courtly and diplomatic arenas, where Rudolf’s collection played a key role in enhancing imperial prestige and forging political alliances. The involvement of other actors, such as court painters and valets, further shaped how the collection was accessed and its broader role in diplomacy and politics.
Abstract
The chapter explores the complex relationship between the public and private aspects of Emperor Rudolf II’s art collection at Prague Castle. It emphasizes how the collection served as both a private source of enjoyment and a political tool for imperial self-representation, available to select diplomats and prominent guests. The authors analyze how the arrangement of artworks in various castle spaces, such as private chambers and ceremonial rooms, reflected their levels of accessibility and significance. Art objects were not only displayed for Rudolf’s personal pleasure but also strategically used as a background for diplomatic interactions and political negotiations. Thus, the castle spaces functioned as courtly and diplomatic arenas, where Rudolf’s collection played a key role in enhancing imperial prestige and forging political alliances. The involvement of other actors, such as court painters and valets, further shaped how the collection was accessed and its broader role in diplomacy and politics.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
- Protagonists, Issues, and Spaces: Papal Policy at the Beginning of Rudolf IIʼs Reign (1576–1584) 29
- “i ministri […] sono tutti hormai disautorizati, ne communicano si può dir più co ʼl padrone”: Social Interaction, Communication Structures and Languages at the Prague Imperial Court from the Perspective of the Nuncios and the Roman Curia around 1600 57
- Negotiation Spaces of Apostolic Nuncios in Prague at the Turn of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries: A Topographic Reconstruction 77
- Hungarians and the Prague Nunciature 99
- Public or Private: The Display of Art in Rudolf II’s Imperial Residence at Prague Castle 119
- Diplomats and the Recreational Spaces of the Habsburgs in Prague: What Was There to See? 145
- Clients, Agents, and Intelligence Operatives of the Bavarian Dukes at the Court of Rudolf II 173
- Saxon Diplomats at the Court of Rudolf II (1609) 195
- An Empress and an Ambassador: The Settlement of Spanish Agents at the Court of Prague (1577–1581) 215
- One Emperor, One Shah, Too Many Ambassadors: Safavid Envoys in Prague (1600–1612) 233
- The Traces of English Diplomacy in Rudolfine Prague 259
- About the Authors
- Index
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
- Protagonists, Issues, and Spaces: Papal Policy at the Beginning of Rudolf IIʼs Reign (1576–1584) 29
- “i ministri […] sono tutti hormai disautorizati, ne communicano si può dir più co ʼl padrone”: Social Interaction, Communication Structures and Languages at the Prague Imperial Court from the Perspective of the Nuncios and the Roman Curia around 1600 57
- Negotiation Spaces of Apostolic Nuncios in Prague at the Turn of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries: A Topographic Reconstruction 77
- Hungarians and the Prague Nunciature 99
- Public or Private: The Display of Art in Rudolf II’s Imperial Residence at Prague Castle 119
- Diplomats and the Recreational Spaces of the Habsburgs in Prague: What Was There to See? 145
- Clients, Agents, and Intelligence Operatives of the Bavarian Dukes at the Court of Rudolf II 173
- Saxon Diplomats at the Court of Rudolf II (1609) 195
- An Empress and an Ambassador: The Settlement of Spanish Agents at the Court of Prague (1577–1581) 215
- One Emperor, One Shah, Too Many Ambassadors: Safavid Envoys in Prague (1600–1612) 233
- The Traces of English Diplomacy in Rudolfine Prague 259
- About the Authors
- Index
