2 Audley Square
London W1K 1DB
Started in 1994, The Course offers Art History, Literature, Music and Opera Lectures.
In Princely Patronage, a series of 10 lectures, we will examine how for nearly two centuries, some dozen city states waged war and their leaders competed to create spheres of both authority and magnificence. Artists from Italy and abroad flourished, moving from court to court, sharing influences and creating ever more sumptuous environments. This series examines the role of the ruling families, their spectacular personalities and projects, and the values of the age in driving this artistic flowering.
Influence
Italy created the model in which connoisseurship became the distinguishing mark of the enlightened and refined ruler. From Krakow to London, monarchs presented themselves through their patronage of the arts, the forms taken from Italy and often executed by artists from the peninsula itself, responsible for spreading the vocabulary of classicism and power across the European courts.