As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. From Princess Diana's iconic 'revenge dress' to former US first lady Melania Trump's 'I really don't care, do u?' jacket, women in the public eye use images to convey strong – and sometimes controversial – messages. We may think of this deliberate self-fashioning as a modern-day affliction, fuelled by Instagram feeds and selfie sticks, yet early-modern women also recognised the power of images.

Lucy Russell, née Harington (c.1581–1627), Countess of Bedford, Courtier and Patron of the Arts

Much like modern-day influencers, these women defined what was on trend. As influential art patrons, they realised that the acquisition, collection and dissemination of art was a political tool, with lasting social and cultural legacy. Despite being members of the ruling elite, the fact that they were women meant they could not claim or assert power in traditional ways. Instead, they used art to wield influence, assert authority and, significantly, convey a public persona.

This piece will consider the most prolific pre-nineteenth-century women patrons who championed artists, spearheaded styles and assembled some of the world's most prestigious art collections – all while working within the restrictions of patriarchal societies.

Isabella d'Este (1474–1539)

Known as the 'First Lady of the Renaissance', Isabella d'Este was one of the most distinguished women of her time.

Born into the eminent ruling family of Ferrara, she received an education not usually afforded to girls. In 1490 she married Francesco Gonzaga II, becoming Marchioness of Mantua, and acting as Regent in his absence. She transformed Mantua into a thriving cultural centre and commissioned some of the most important artists of the time, including Andrea Mantegna (c.1431–1506), Perugino (c.1450–1523), Lorenzo Costa (c.1459/1460–1535), Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) and Titian (c.1488–1576).

c.1500–1505, oil on poplar panel by Lorenzo Costa (1460–1535)

Said to have had an 'insatiable desire for antiquities' (typically thought of as a masculine pursuit), Isabella commissioned mythological paintings for her studiolo (private study) – in particular, works by Mantegna – and collected coins, medals and statuettes. So zealous were her collecting practices that a contemporary joked that she was in danger of becoming 'more like a merchant than a lady'.

Isabella surely understood the power of portraits; Titian's decidedly youthful portrait of her from 1536 shows her exquisitely dressed in fine fabrics and fur.

Notably, the bulbous headdress (zazara) was designed by and made fashionable by the First Lady herself.

Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589)

Born into the illustrious Medici family, Catherine's childhood was wrought with upheaval and tragedy. At age 14 she married the future king Henri II, becoming Queen of France in 1547, and subsequently Regent of France.

During her reign she used collecting and display to her advantage and carried out 30 years of artistic patronage, acquiring a wealth of tapestries, fabrics, sculpture, furniture and pottery. Intent on leaving a legacy behind, she was directly involved with important architectural projects, such as the Tuileries Palace – her Paris residence – and Hotel de la Reine. As a tastemaker at French court, she is said to have introduced the folding fan, promoted the use of undergarments and popularised makeup and perfume.

To perhaps offset her reputation as 'l’Italienne' and the 'Serpent Queen', Catherine commissioned many portraits of her and her family, such as those by Jean Clouet and his son François. This drawing from around 1550 is the earliest surviving portrait of Catherine by François Clouet.

Through these commissions, Catherine cultivated various public personas; firstly, as an ideal bride, then that of a widow and Queen Regent, and after the death of her son Francis, a devoted Queen Mother, focused on the state of the nation.

Margaret of Austria (1480–1530)

The only daughter of Emperor Maximilian I, Margaret of Austria governed the Habsburg Netherlands for almost 25 years, and in turn, successfully turned her Mechelen palace into an important political, musical and artistic centre.

Her collection consisted of portraits, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, tapestries and natural objects, and was, according to the art historian Dagmar Eichberger, laid out as a 'proto-museum', with Margaret leading guided tours for prominent guests herself. Painters Jan Gossaert (c.1478–1532), Pieter van Coninxloo (d.1513) and sculptor Conrad Meit (1480–1531) were regulars at her court; probably the most famous of Margaret's commissions is Jan van Eyck's (c.1380/1390–1441) Arnolfini Portrait.

Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife

She also commissioned many portraits of herself for public display and distribution, stressing her role as a loyal wife, powerful Regent and woman of influence, wishing to be seen as a wife even after the death of her third husband Philibert II, Duke of Savoy. This portrait by court painter Bernaert van Orley (c.1488–1492–1541) shows her wearing exclusively black, conveying her widow status.

Towards the end of her rule, Margaret commissioned Van Orley to portray her as Caritas in a tapestry – signifying care and compassion – safeguarding her image as a pious woman and benevolent ruler.

Elizabeth I (1533–1603)

While Elizabeth I fervently supported the arts, she was technically not a major patron, and her portraits were often commissioned by the government or courtiers. Nevertheless, throughout her reign, her image was widely disseminated – on books, coins, miniatures and paintings – and carefully constructed for political purposes.

Very few portraits were painted from life – the 'Darnley portrait' (below) from around 1575 being a rare exception – as Elizabeth would rarely sit for artists. Once a chosen artist had completed their portrait, it was then used as a 'pattern' for other artists to copy.

While early renderings of Elizabeth stress her God-given right to rule, later portraits assert her status as the Virgin Queen. George Gower (c.1540–1596) and Quinten Massys (1466–1530) depict her holding a sieve, a symbol of purity and virginity; in ancient Roman tradition, Tuccia, the Vestal Virgin would carry water unspilt in a sieve. Nicholas Hilliard's (1547–1619) 1575 'Pelican Portrait' depicts her wearing a pelican pendant, affirming her role as mother of the nation; a mother pelican was said to draw blood from its breast to feed her young.

Elizabeth I (1533–1603): The Pelican Portrait

So important was the role of portraits in defining a public image that as early as 1563 a proclamation was drafted to prohibit portraits including 'errors and deformyties'. In 1596, the Privy Council ordered that 'unseemly' portraits of Elizabeth were sought out and destroyed.

Catherine the Great (1729–1796)

A self-described 'glutton for art', Catherine II used patronage to elevate and assert Russia's political standing. As Russia's longest-ruling female ruler – reigning for 34 years – acquiring art was part of a long-term strategy, fixing her court as an artistic centre and Russia as a 'culturally enlightened' European nation.

Purchasing entire collections enabled Catherine to expand her own collection rapidly; in 1779 she bought that of Sir Robert Walpole (1676–1745), Britain's first Prime Minister.

During her reign, she procured over 4,000 paintings, 10,000 drawings and 38,000 books, as well as numerous sculptures, metalwork, porcelain, glass and medals. These included works by established artists such as Rubens (1577–1640), Rembrandt (1606–1669) and Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), as well as lesser-known women artists such as Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807) and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842), who spent time at Catherine's court.

The Empress Catherine the Great of Russia (1729–1796)

Her vast collection, housed at the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, formed the foundations of the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest museums in the world. Despite her deviant reputation (explored in the TV series The Great) Catherine was, according to historian Susan Jaques, 'rather prudish', and disapproved of nudity in art outside of mythological subjects.

Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764)

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (known as Madame de Pompadour) was Louis XV's mistress, advisor and confidante.

Unlike the other featured patrons, she did not have an aristocratic or royal background, but nevertheless became one of the most influential women in eighteenth-century France. Hailed as 'the godmother of the Rococo', Pompadour's name became synonymous with the style, and she commissioned portraits by artists such as François Boucher (1703–1770), Carle van Loo (1705–1765) and François Hubert Drouais (1727–1775).

Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson

She also influenced fashion, architecture and the decorative arts, and her patronage even stretched to production. She famously supported the Sèvres porcelain factory, resulting in a new shade of pink named in her honour; before 'Millennial Pink' there was 'Pompadour Rose'.

In later years, when her relationship with the King was mostly platonic, she began to commission portraits around the subject of companionship. Her final portrait, painted by Drouais in 1763–1764, shows her at her tabour working on her embroidery, presenting her as an older, respectable woman of fine taste; very demure, very mindful.

Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame

Marie Antoinette (1755–1793)

Born an Austrian princess, Marie Antoinette was the Queen of France from 1774. Residing at Versailles from age 15, she played a vital role in shaping the artistic and cultural landscape of eighteenth-century France.

Known for her extravagant taste and frivolous spending, the 'Rebel Queen' was a committed patron of the visual arts, craft, fashion and music. Notably, she supported the career of her favoured portraitist Le Brun, who produced around thirty portraits of her.

She also commissioned furniture by craftsmen such as Jean Henri Riesener (1734–1806), whose work exemplifies the 'Louis XVI style'; a somewhat deceptive term, as Marie had a far greater influence on the arts than her husband ever did. With her popularity dwindling, in 1785 the royal household commissioned from Le Brun a portrait of Marie posing with her children, intended to convey her sympathetic, maternal nature.

1787, oil on canvas by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842)

Despite her passionate arts patronage, she was poorly regarded both at court and by the public, and her legacy is inextricably tied to the bloody end of the French monarchy.

Melissa Baksh, art historian, freelance writer, and Gallery and Exhibitions Officer at Morley College London

This content was supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation