Penning met het portret van de Heilige Petrus en de namen van de pausen 1685 - 1720

Editor: This intriguing circular print from the late 17th or early 18th century depicts Saint Peter in the center, surrounded by the names of popes. The graphic style, the dense text… it all feels incredibly purposeful. How do you interpret this work? Curator: For me, it speaks volumes about power, lineage, and the construction of religious authority. Consider the period in which it was created—a time of religious and political upheaval. The meticulous listing of popes is not just an historical record, it's a deliberate act of legitimization, asserting the unbroken chain of succession back to Saint Peter, regardless of some historical ruptures. Editor: So, it’s making a political statement through a religious lens? Curator: Precisely. Think about what is emphasized – the "I. NOMS DES PAPES," the visual centrality of Peter. What's being centered, and perhaps even controlled, here? It's a very deliberate visual argument about who has the right to power. Consider the way it uses early portraiture conventions in the profile of St. Peter within a contemporary printed format; how are those visual tools reinforcing a specific narrative? Editor: I see. It's almost like a family tree, visually reinforcing a claim to authority through ancestry, only in this case it is a religious claim. Curator: Exactly. And how might the style, typical of inexpensive prints at the time, influence who this message was intended for, and thus its social and political reach? Who was being invited to believe this assertion of power, and why? Editor: That's a compelling perspective. I initially saw it as simply a historical document, but now I recognize the persuasive element. Curator: And it makes you think about how images of authority continue to be constructed and circulated, even today. Editor: Absolutely. Looking at art through a social lens has definitely deepened my appreciation of it. Thanks for that!