Existing comment:
Should leaders care what people think of them? Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519) believed so, and this conviction shaped the way he reigned. The titles he accumulated throughout his life brought more prestige and responsibilities than resources. In the face of constant financial and political challenges, this European ruler quickly realized that power was first and foremost about mobilizing support through strategic communication. He campaigned to persuade others to rally to his cause, provide money and lives to defend his lands, overcome his enemies, and secure a bright future for his family. In the end, Maximilian proved to be a masterful self-promoter. Not only did he care about his subjects' opinions of him, he successfully manipulated them to his advantage.
This exhibition is about opinion-shaping and the power of constructed identities on the grand stage of European Renaissance politics. Through thematic displays of armor and other art forms, it emphasizes Maximilian's passion for the trappings and ideals of knighthood, which served his worldly ambitions. Armor offered more than protection; it could be used to lend distinction, influence others, and cement key alliances.
It was nineteenth-century Romantic writers who first called Maximilian "the Last Knight." To them, he represented the end of an era of heroism, adventure, and fantasy. The artworks gathered here highlight the important role armor and chivalry played in the fashioning of the emperor's image -- one designed to attract support, secure loyalty, and inspire awe long after his death. |