Research

Anne-Maria van Egmond (1985) finished a bachelor's degree at the University of Amsterdam in 2008, focusing on the meaning of late medieval religious art. She took masterclasses at the same university further specializing on pieces of art as part of every day devotion but also on art used in a more worldly manner. Research on medieval account books resulted in 2010 in the cum laude thesis entitled Het patronaat van Albrecht van Beieren: ambachtslieden èn kooplieden aan het Haagse hof 1389-1404. From the moment Albert of Bavaria came to power as count of Holland, Zealand and Hainaut in 1358, he traveled his domains and continuously moved his court around with Le Quesnoy, Valenciennes and The Hague as his favorite residences. To strengthen his international position, he set up a princely entourage, which in his later years focused on the Binnenhof as the court became residential from 1389 on. Of this entourage almost no artifact survives. Written evidence of the existence and use of these artifacts can be found in the mentioned account books, which are archived in The Hague. This thesis has been awarded with the Die Haghe scriptieprijs 2012.

In September 2011 Anne-Maria started working on a PhD thesis at the UvA that will shed new light on the artistic climate of the Low Countries, on artisans, artists and merchants traveling around, producing and selling luxuries: Paid for pieces of art. Items in Dutch account books ca. 1345-1425. Over the years, research into the accounts books written for the counts of Holland (ca. 1345-1425) has been limited. Some information from the recorded payments has been used to embellish studies on Dutch court literature and book illumination. Some matching payments made for more detailed studies on The Hague tomb sculpture, tournaments and dining. In one instance the account books were recommended as an interesting source for those interested in the artistic climate of Holland and Zealand in the second half of the fourteenth and the beginnings of the fifteenth century (Dick de Boer, 1994). The account books were never used accordingly. The three parts of my dissertation will take different approaches researching every aspect of the series of account books. Part one informs on the material form of the account books, how they came in use and how they developed over eighty years. Part two gives insight in the preferences of the counts of Holland showing how these princes used objects of luxury in their communication to relatives, colleagues and subjects. Part three then focuses on the artisans responsible for the production of luxury objects and the brokers responsible for communicating between them and their courtly patrons. By making combinations between the main sources and complementary sources the account books will regain a historical context. Both the series of accounts recorded for the counts of Blois and the lords of Borselen can be compared to our account books. Furthermore, links will be sought with other Dutch surviving municipal and clerical accounts.  

For a full curriculum vitae see my acadia.edu profile.

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