Patronage (sage study)

Patronage is a sage study in the field of the Art World, focusing on the art of appealing to the elite for financial support through commissions and patronage. This study reveals not only the technical aspects of creating art but also the political and social dynamics involved in securing the favour and resources of those with the means to support artistic endeavours.

Patrons of the arts come from various segments of society, each with their own interests, motivations and preferences. These elite patrons can include merchants looking to display their wealth and taste through commissions, nobles seeking to immortalize their lineage or power through the arts, religious leaders funding works to promote faith or demonstrate divine favour, and politically influential figures who may use art for propaganda or personal aggrandizement. Even those with more questionable motives, such as criminals, corrupt officials or wealthy outcasts, may support artists to gain social respectability or hide their darker dealings behind the veneer of culture and refinement.

The art of gaining patronage involves much more than simply presenting work; it requires a deep understanding of the patron's desires, insecurities and ambitions. Patrons often look for artists who can align with their aesthetic preferences, but they may also seek artists who can help them advance personal or political agendas. For instance, a noble patron may commission portraits to enhance their social status, while a religious patron might seek works that glorify their faith or symbolize their piety. Artists skilled in reading these motivations and catering to them are often more successful in maintaining ongoing patronage.

Artists skilled in patronage must also navigate the intricate balance of power, as many patrons are also competitors within the same social circles, leading to situations of rivalry and political maneuvering. A commission is often not just about money, but also about securing influence or protection within the greater social order. Artists must be adept at managing relationships with their patrons, carefully choosing when to challenge their wishes and when to submit to their demands.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Approach College: within the range of the character's experience, provided by former instructors, colleges can be reached out to as a means of finding work, making connections and obtaining a propertied patron. The character must directly seek out and make use of this knowledge, as the college is only there to write letters of introduction.

• Propertied Patron: Through a letter from a college, the character may actively seek to make a connection with a patron; this person will essay in future to provide the character with more opportunities, locating work or situations where the character might make contacts, while assuring the character an income so that they never need want for sufficient room and board.

• Restore Quality: Through contacts, the character is given the opportunity to restore or repair a damaged piece of artwork, or perhaps aid in the repair, maintenance or arrangements for a physical space. A dancer, for example, might identify where a surface needs to be re-levelled, while a circus performer might understand that a wire needs tightening or an animal needs rest. The benifit is in the character being asked to give of his or her personal time and experience, among others who have even less knowledge than the character. The effect of this is to extend the character's contacts and further the number of places where they might be recognised.

Authority Status

• Commission: if accepted, the character may pursue an offered formal contract in order to create artwork within the scope of their ability. The value provided is approximately 10 g.p. per point of knowledge the character possesses. Commissions hereafter are available upon demand by the character, but only after accepted commissions have been completed. Each completion allow the character to build their reputation, potentially leading to future work and connections with new and greater patrons.

• Wealthy Patron: following the completion of three commissions, the character's former, lesser patron bows out in respect for a wealthier patron, an individual of the Gentry or Squire class, able to assure a larger monthly stipend. Benefits also include introductions to society and influence, capital and the affluent middle-upper class, such as merchants, guild patrons and burghers.

See Bard Sage Abilities