Portret van kardinaal Antonio Andrea Galli 1753 - 1760

This is Giovanni Antonio Faldoni’s print of Antonio Andrea Galli, made in Rome in the mid-eighteenth century. It captures Galli, not just as an individual, but as a figure deeply embedded within the structures of the Catholic Church. The print situates Galli, the Cardinal, amid the symbols of his power and position. Coats of arms flank his portrait, emblems of both his personal lineage and his ecclesiastical authority. These aren't mere decorations; they're declarations of identity, inextricably linking Galli's selfhood to his role within the Church. What does it mean to have your identity so publicly and permanently defined by an institution? How much of Galli's inner life is expressed here, and how much is deliberately obscured by the weight of expectation and religious doctrine? As you contemplate this image, consider the interplay between individual and institution.