Mary of Hungary’s Small Portraits: The Difficult Quest for Female Patronage

This article attempts to account for Mary of Hungary’s attitude toward the medals depicting her. Some of these medals may not have originated at her initiative, raising questions about their use, dating, and the responsibility for their issuance. Reconsidering these objects sheds light on cultural practices and gendered representations beyond the prevailing scholarly focus on patronage and self-representation schemes. It also shows the extent to which Mary’s features could have been depicted on medals without her commission, authorization, or cooperation. From this perspective, the case studies presented illustrate how her figure was interpreted and appropriated over time and across space.