Portret van Ludovico Donati, 24ste Minister Generaal van de franciscaner orde 1710 - 1738

Editor: So, here we have "Portret van Ludovico Donati, 24ste Minister Generaal van de franciscaner orde," made sometime between 1710 and 1738 by Antonio Luciani. It's an engraving – a print. It's got this archaic, official feel, very typical of its time. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: As a materialist, what grabs my attention first is the labour involved in creating this print. Think of the skilled artisan meticulously cutting those lines into a metal plate, replicating an image for wider distribution. The print medium itself democratises portraiture, taking it beyond the exclusive realm of painted elites. The social context here is crucial, isn't it? How does print function within 18th-century religious and political power structures? Editor: I see what you mean. It's not just about the *what*—the portrait of this Minister General—but *how* it was made and who had access to it. Was this a tool for propaganda, or just a commemorative piece, distributed within the Franciscan order? Curator: Precisely! And consider the materials: the ink, the paper. Where did they come from? Who controlled their production and distribution? The act of reproducing Donati’s image through engraving allows for speculation regarding who this was really made for: him, his circle, or something else altogether? Was this image-making, maybe, tied to patronage or specific economic interests? Editor: So, even a seemingly straightforward portrait can open up questions about labor, materials, and power dynamics. I initially focused on the subject, but now I'm seeing it as a product of its time, shaped by broader material conditions. Curator: Exactly. And by considering these material elements, we can disrupt traditional notions of authorship and artistic genius, thinking instead about the collaborative and often invisible labour that goes into making art accessible.