Conclusion

Conclusion

Thadea Petrucci’s identity as both a patron and a wealthy, female layperson influenced the construction of the monstrance itself. There was a pressure to use her wealth to aid the decoration of the Church as well as maintain the appearance of piety during a time when religion encompassed the cultural, economic, and political systems of southern Europe. As a young child, she would've been exposed to religious iconography in her Italian, possibly merchant family. Her identity as a woman would have shaped her teachings and what religious impressions were left upon her. As a person living during a time of plague, she would have felt the imminent pressure to ensure the salvation of her soul. Her desires, expressed through the imagery and aesthetic of the monstrance, would have been slightly warped by the intepretation of the artisan himself; however, the monstrance is clearly a commission of her own.