Portret van kardinaal Mario Bolognetti after 1743

Curator: Here we have "Portret van kardinaal Mario Bolognetti," a work created after 1743 by Antonio Pazzi, now residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It's an engraving. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the formality, yet there’s a surprising gentleness in the Cardinal’s gaze. The oval frame gives it such a nice intimacy too, like peeking into someone’s private world. Curator: Yes, and placing it within a larger socio-political context, we see the baroque style serving the very purpose of expressing power. Note the two family crests above him, framing him like halos of ancestry. Editor: It feels a little self-aggrandizing, right? I mean, come on, with the embellished crests practically shouting about his lineage! Although... there’s something so human in that slightly lopsided wig, undercutting all that pomp. Almost like a tiny act of rebellion, or at least, humanity peeking through. Curator: I see your point. While the formal elements declare a connection to power, there's also a vulnerability being presented here that may resonate with certain queer theorists, especially around the construction of masculinity within historically rigid frameworks. The engraving allows us to investigate social constructions of authority at the time. Editor: "Social constructions," always with the fancy phrases! I guess for me it goes back to those eyes… so calm, like they have seen it all. It gives the engraving depth beyond just being an historical artifact, almost like they want you to step into their narrative. Curator: Agreed, though I feel that depth only reveals itself by considering how the man used the religious authority to maintain hierarchical social order of the time. Looking at Pazzi’s piece, the engraving makes a powerful claim about the subject. Editor: Exactly! Each scratch, a tiny statement and whisper. This engraving invites conversation from then and to our now!