Power and image: Della Rovere patronage in late Quattrocento Rome. (Volumes I and II)

This study seeks to examine the position of the della Rovere family in late quattrocento Rome by looking at the monuments that testify to their evolving political and social strength--the palaces, chapels, decorations, collections, and entertainments commissioned during their years of political and social dominance in the city (1471-1503). The primary assumption of this work is that art patronage is a rhetorical means by which the della Rovere attempted to accomplish some very practical and symbolic goals--the expression of power, the legitimization of that power to the people of Rome, and an association between themselves and secular princes through the vocabulary of magnificence.;The elaborate rhetoric of patronage that developed celebrated the della Rovere as author and served at least three functions. First, by continuing certain architectural motifs and artistic conventions, the della Rovere ensured upper-class connotations. They showed themselves as visual promoters of tradition and, consequently, as examples of monumentality and permanence. At the same time, the family was careful to express their magnificence in ways mindful of their changing audience. And finally, in their contributions to the city's image, the della Rovere behaved as leaders of Rome's urban and classical renewal and were able to coopt its magnificence and glory as their own. Within this repertoire, repeated themes of conservativeness and princeliness are visible across media while the frequent selection of Pinturicchio as artist for both public chapels and private interiors suggests a style suitable to both varying sets of viewers and della Rovere intention.;In their communication of ideas, the della Rovere influenced perception and ultimately, the social action of their time and the future. In our day, their study expands our knowledge of the active role of art in Renaissance culture and the shaping of history through media.