Simon McKeown

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Emblems at Läckö

This book examines mysterious Baroque paintings that form part of the rich décor at Läckö, one of Sweden’s greatest castles. Dating from the seventeenth century and presented as emblems - a fashionable genre stemming from the Italian Renaissance - Läckö’s paintings address some of the major preoccupations of the age: questions surrounding faith, worldly power, the ethics of poverty and wealth, and the pursuit of inner peace. Commissioned by the Count of Läckö, Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, and his wife Princess Maria Euphrosyne, the emblems reveal new insights into the worldview, interests, and anxieties of two of the most significant artistic patrons in Swedish history. Richly illustrated throughout, Emblems at Läckö describes the intellectual and cultural world inhabited by the De la Gardies, considers their artistic vision for the castle, and shows how they used emblems to convey both their public ideals and private aspirations. About the author Dr Simon McKeown is Head of the History of Art Department at Marlborough College, and Chair of the Society for Emblem Studies.