Patronage, Culture and Power: The Early Cecils [Hardcover]

Ms. Pauline Croft (Editor), Pauline Croft (Author)

Book Description

Series: Studies in British Art | Publication Date: March 1, 2002

The Cecils were the dominant noble family in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. William, Lord Burghley rose to power and great wealth under Elizabeth I, then used his extensive patronage and exceptional breadth of interests to advance the Cecils' remarkable political and cultural pre-eminence. This wide-ranging collection of essays draws on architectural and art history, court studies, English literature, garden history, musicology, economic history, and women's studies. The extensive building programme of William, Lord Burghley and his son Robert, Earl of Salisbury was the most spectacular of the 16th and early 17th centuries, and much of it, particularly Burghley House and Hatfield House, still survives. Their encouragement of new processes of manufacturing was, like their splendid houses, innovative, forward-looking and highly influential. The Cecils were also innovative patrons of the arts. They were pioneers in the vogue for collecting paintings; patrons of musicians such as John Dowland and writers such as Ben Jonson; and introduced new styles of Renaissance design into gardens and interiors. The Cecil women, too, were influential in both political and cultural spheres. The notable character of Mildred, Lord Burghley's wife, and the marriage alliances and female courtiership of the Cecil daughters are some of the themes explored in this refreshingly inter-disciplinary collection of essays.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

About the Author

Pauline Croft is reader in early modern history at the University of London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Paul Mellon Centre BA (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300091362
• ISBN-13: 978-0300091366
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,225,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)