The Munich Kunstkammer

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The Kunstkammer founded by Albrecht V, Duke of Bavaria, in the 1560s was one of the earliest princely collections aimed at storing and producing universal knowledge, with a focus on representing its founder's territory and dynasty. Katharina Pilaski Kaliardos examines the collection's role within the broader context of centralizing princely power and the confessionalization of the territory following the Council of Trent. This study uniquely situates the Kunstkammer within the intellectual environment of the Bavarian court, highlighting the interests of courtiers related to its epistemology. Drawing on Samuel Quiccheberg's 1565 museological treatise, the author explores the Kunstkammer's ties to contemporary encyclopedic projects, asserting that its original goal was to serve as a pragmatic site for knowledge representation beneficial for governance. Analyzing objects that document remarkable natural events in the region, Kaliardos reveals a distinctly Catholic perspective on natural wonders and their significance in the collection's confessional narrative. Furthermore, she contextualizes reproductions of natural objects within the era's religious practices and the philosophical discourse surrounding art's ability to replicate nature.