Anna of Denmark - (Studies in Design and Material Culture) by Jemma Field (Paperback)

About the Book

This book examines Anna of Denmark's engagement with visual and material goods, including architecture, garden design, painting and jewellery. It contextualises the consort's place within the wider socio-political environment of the Stuart courts and provides a comprehensive understanding of her personal iconography, aims, interests and alliances.

Book Synopsis

Approaching the Stuart courts through the lens of the queen consort, Anna of Denmark, this study is underpinned by three key themes: translating cultures, female agency and the role of kinship networks and genealogical identity for early modern royal women. Illustrated with a fascinating array of objects and artworks, the book follows a trajectory that begins with Anna's exterior spaces before moving to the interior furnishings of her palaces, the material adornment of the royal body, an examination of Anna's visual persona and a discussion of Anna's performance of extraordinary rituals that follow her life cycle. Underpinned by a wealth of new archival research, the book provides a richer understanding of the breadth of Anna's interests and the meanings generated by her actions, associations and possessions.

From the Back Cover

This book analyses Anna of Denmark's material and visual patronage at the Stuart courts, examining her engagement with a wide array of expressive media, including architecture, garden design, painting, music, dress, and jewellery. Covering Anna's time in Denmark, England, and Scotland, it establishes patterns of interest and influence in her agency, while furthering our knowledge of Baltic-British transfer in the early modern period.

Substantial archival work has prompted a reconsideration of James and Anna's relationship, extended our knowledge of the constituents of consortship in the period, and uncovered evidence to challenge the view that Anna merely supported the cultural accomplishments of her son Prince Henry. This book reclaims Anna of Denmark as the influential and culturally active royal woman that her contemporaries knew. Combining politics, culture, and religion, it enriches our understanding of royal women's roles in early modern patriarchal societies and their impact on the development of cultural modes and fashions.

Anna of Denmark will be of interest to students taking courses on early modern Europe in the disciplines of art and architectural history, English literature, theatre studies, history, and gender studies. It will also attract a wide range of academics working on early modern material and visual culture and female patronage, while general readers who enjoy the history of courts and the British royals will also find it distinctly appealing.

Review Quotes

'[...] this work would be an excellent resource for scholars and students of queenship and the Stuart era. In sum, this excellent work further develops the cultural examinations of Anna's life and offers yet more evidence that this queen who had long been relegated to the fringes of academic enquiry deserves greater investigation and appreciation.'
European History Quarterly, Elena Woodacre

About the Author

Jemma Field is Associate Director of Research at the Yale Center for British Art.