Rudolf II: The Life and Legend of the Mad Emperor

(Hardback)

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Rudolf II: The Life and Legend of the Mad Emperor offers a fresh perspective on the Habsburg ruler, shedding new light on a reign often coloured by myths of madness.

Contrary to popular belief, Rudolf was not a passive recluse but an engaged monarch, navigating the complexities of state affairs with a moderate hand amid turbulent times. By contextualizing his interests in astrology, alchemy and magic, Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann offers new insights into Rudolf's support for scientific endeavours and his quest for power. It also demonstrates that Rudolf's assembling of the greatest Kunstkammer and painting collection of his time and his patronage of artists were essential elements of Renaissance rulership. This book will appeal to a diverse audience, including enthusiasts of the occult, as well as those fascinated by Renaissance history, the Habsburg dynasty and art history.

Reviews

"Ostrich eggs, narwhal tusks, automatons, fabulous art treasures, fantastic scientific instruments, the wizard John Dee and the astronomer Johannes Kepler - this the world of Rudolf II, and Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann gives us as many gems in describing Rudolf's reign as adorned the extravagant crown that the emperor designed. He shows how Rudolf's patronage of the arts, and the motifs in the paintings which he commissioned, amplified the mystique and magnificence of monarchy, and he portrays Rudolf as a master of the middle way in politics and religion."--Martyn Rady, author of 'The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe'
"Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann convincingly strips away the calumnious legends of the mad emperor. His marvelous, contextualized portrait of Rudolf II reveals a complex personality grappling with political and religious upheavals."--Jeffrey Chipps Smith, professor emeritus of art history, The University of Texas at Austin, and author of Kunstkammer

Author Bio

Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann is Frederick Marquand Professor of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University. He has published extensively on Central Europe and on global art history, including Arcimboldo (2009) and Toward a Geography of Art (2004).