The Status of Print and Printmakers in the Court of Rudolf II

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0101:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kawakami Eri 神戸大学, 人文学研究科, 人文学研究科研究員 (10844813)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 神聖ローマ帝国 / 複製版画 / 西洋美術史 / マニエリスム / 北方ヨーロッパ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to obtain a clearer image concerning the status and position which print and printmakers were given in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, by examining the primary documents from the court and treatises on art as well as Rudolfine prints. Consequently, among other things, two aspects have been elucidated. Firstly, the analysis of printing privileges which the emperor granted to printmakers demonstrates not only the social evaluation of the printmakers, but also that the court played a certain significant role in the printmaking network in northern Europe by issuing those privileges. Furthermore, the idea of the “reproductive” print has been reconsidered, for it has been seen as a mere copy of other artworks until recent years. A survey of the adapted reproductive prints which have some changes from their originals has been conducted which has resulted in a hypothesis about the meaning of those changes and their adaptor.

Free Research Field

西洋美術史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、従来の版画の制作・出版地を中心とした見方とは異なり、神聖ローマ帝国の制度や宮廷芸術家の活動をとおして、プラハ宮廷を中心に広がる版画のネットワークで帝国、ひいては北方の版画制作を捉え直している。その点にくわえ、複製版画の見直しが進む近年の研究動向を踏まえて帝国の版画を改めて解釈した点に、とりわけ学術的意義をもつものである。