Portret van Cesare Rasponi c. 1660 - 1685

Curator: This image is a portrait of Cesare Rasponi, a cardinal during the time of Pope Alessandro VII. The engraving is believed to have been made between 1660 and 1685 by Johann Martin Lerch and currently resides in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: He certainly projects a certain kind of stern authority. But seeing this in monochrome makes me wonder: what ink, paper, tools gave Lerch the greatest tonal control? Was this designed for widespread consumption, influencing opinions of Rasponi, or a more limited audience? Curator: An interesting question, and one which reflects on artistic production as shaped by socio-political forces. Lerch’s access to tools, the patronage system of the era, these undoubtedly informed the availability of the engraving and ultimately influenced the perception of Cesare Rasponi within those who could access printed imagery. Editor: Engraving inherently becomes a dialogue with replication and distribution. Each strike of the tool against the metal plate is part of this process of image-making, from inception to audience impact. The texture here comes less from surface materiality, instead it derives from the mechanical and social reproduction capabilities inherent to engraving as a printmaking medium. Curator: Exactly! Consider the role of printmaking in disseminating imagery and solidifying reputations, particularly for figures of power within the Catholic Church. Prints such as this were not mere representations, but potent tools in shaping public opinion and bolstering authority, or the inverse. How does the mass availability of prints shift understandings of individuality and worth? Editor: Well, this specific artwork really makes one ponder the artist's intent to circulate certain ideologies within the Church during the period when printed material was increasingly widespread. We cannot really divorce the material choices from those of influence and meaning. Curator: Indeed, it all goes into making a complete historical picture, revealing the complicated and nuanced interaction between material culture and historical narrative. Editor: Thinking about this engraving, its availability, gives a fuller sense of artistic agency beyond simply technical skill or expression.