Matilda of Essen is mostly known in English language scholarship merely as a figure mentioned briefly in the Chronicle of Æthelweard. However, in German-language scholarship, she is known as an important member of the imperial royal family and a patron of the arts. This entry combines these two historiographic traditions to present a picture of a powerful woman, who used physical and literary artifacts to create and broker power in international networks. Although Matilda’s writings are not extant, her hand can be seen in works as diverse as the Chronicle of Æthelweard and the Golden Madonna of Essen reflecting the world in which she traveled, a world which had strong connections between England, Germany, and the Byzantine Empire.