A Franco-Scottish Regent and the Arts: The Patronage of John Stuart, Duke of Albany

John Stuart, Duke of Albany was born in France, but acted as regent of Scotland from 1514 until 1524. He was in a key figure in the context of Franco-Scottish diplomacy. Albany was also noteworthy for his love of visual splendour and magnificence. In France, he was an astute patron of the visual arts, commissioning important illuminated manuscripts and architectural projects, such as the Sainte-Chapelle at Vic-le-Comte in the Auvergne. This chapter examines key examples of his patronage and the motivations that lay behind them. Examining the literary material composed by Bremond Domat, the foundation of a Sainte-Chapelle at Vic-le-Comte, and his demonstrable interests in military science, Albany can be shown to be one of the most important and overlooked patrons of visual material in France during this period. Albany’s strategic use of illustrated genealogical material provides another avenue for investigation. It is demonstrated that Albany was a figure who acted, throughout his career, as an influential conduit for the transfer of ideas between elite, royal and papal circles in Scotland, France, and Italy, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of the power and agency of visual and literary material in the service of his diplomatic, military, and political endeavours.