My research centres on early modern collections and patronage, with a particular focus on northern European courts. I am especially interested in Kunst- and Wunderkammer collections (cabinets of curiosities), which encompass a wide range of objects such as pretiosa, jewellery, silverware, scientific instruments, ivories, hardstones, as well as still life paintings, portraiture, and miniatures. A significant aspect of my work examines the patronage, collecting practices, and education of early modern women, especially in relation to the Kunstkammer.
There is a growing contemporary interest in Kunst- and Wunderkammern, both among scholars and artists like Mark Dion. This resurgence, alongside its reappearance in the Victorian era, has led me to explore the reception of the early modern cabinet of curiosities also in later periods.
