Innocent XIII c. 18th century

Curator: This is Johann Kenckel's "Innocent XIII," a portrait capturing the pontiff. The print resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's a rather imposing image, isn't it? There's a formality to it, a sense of papal authority emanating from the composition. Curator: Absolutely. Kenckel made this portrait to exist within the complex visual language of papal power, a crucial aspect of the church's self-representation in the early 18th century. The symbolism is palpable. Editor: It does feel like a constructed image, designed to project a specific message about religion. The texture and the framing certainly enforce that idea. Curator: Indeed. The careful placement of the coat of arms, the Latin inscriptions, all contribute to an assertion of lineage, faith, and political power. Editor: So, beyond the aesthetic, it's a document of institutional authority rendered with intent. Curator: Precisely. It gives us a glimpse into how the papacy utilized visual media to maintain its position. Editor: I see the social and political considerations in a new light.