Mary of Hungary and Binche Palace: Strategic Collecting and the Politics of Display
Mary of Hungary and Binche Palace: Strategic Collecting and the Politics of Display
Author(s): Ingrid CiulisováSubject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Cultural history, Museology & Heritage Studies, Visual Arts, Modern Age, 16th Century, History of Art
Published by: SAV - Slovenská akadémia vied - Slovenská akadémie vied - Centrum vied o umení
Keywords: Mary of Hungary; Binche Palace; Habsburg collections; works of art; Rogier van der Weyden; materials; nature
Summary/Abstract: This article examines Mary of Hungary’s policy of acquiring works of art for Binche Palace during her governance of the Low Countries from 1531 to 1555. The main focus is on Rogier van der Weyden’s painting The Descent from the Cross, the most admired work in the collection, and a key example. An analysis of the painting and the historical record reveals that Mary selected it and other pieces—which demonstrate her interest in the natural world and precious materials—not merely for their aesthetic value or her personal taste, but because these objects held significance for the Habsburgs. This approach sheds light on her important yet underexplored role as a temporary curator of her family’s collections.
Journal: ARS
- Issue Year: 59/2026
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 72-87
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English
