Existing comment:
"Human knowledge and human power meet in one; for where the cause is not known the effect cannot be produced."
-- Francis Bacon, 1620
Knowledge is power. So goes the famous adage, and such were the priorities of European rulers during the Renaissance, Baroque, and early Enlightenment periods -- a transformative epoch known as the early modern era. Between 1550 and 1750, nearly every European prince and sovereign amassed a vast and glittering collection intended to communicate power. The most exquisite decorative arts in these collections were as valued for their artistic and technological advancement as they were for their opulence. To bolster their reputations, rulers across Europe pursued science and splendor with equal vigor, forging a transcontinental culture of magnificence.
The works on view here played a key role in complex strategies of courtly self-representation. Scientific and artisanal knowledge was equated with the practical wisdom, self-mastery, and moral virtue required of a successful leader. Rulers proclaimed their divine right to govern by assembling encyclopedic collections that demonstrated an understanding of nature's secrets and by embracing practices meant to showcase their erudition and skill.
These powerful patrons demanded ever more sophisticated production processes, instruments, and display pieces for their collections from the artisans in their employ. This dynamic environment cultivated major inventions in the arts and sciences, the ripples of which are still felt today in our tablets, smartphones, and automobiles. The marvels in this exhibition are much more than their lustrous surfaces suggest. They also embody the enduring link between technological innovation and social prestige. |