Centre for Ottoman Renaissance and Civilisation

Renaissance Women's Patronage: A Comparative Reading of Early Modern Women's Patronage in Italy and Ottoman Istanbul

​

Metin Mustafa

​

Abstract: This article aims to articulate on the analogies of the patronage of influential wives and nuns of Renaissance Italy and those of Ottoman Imperial women of Renaissance Istanbul. From this study, there emerge similar practices in early modern women of the 16th century asserting their power and authority through architectural symbolisms. From a gendered architectural perspective, the assertiveness of female agency subverts the norms of patriarchy of the early modern period. Furthermore, through the feminist lens, the article demonstrates the presence of absence of these influential women making them proactive participants in early modern social dynamics.