Portret van Giovanni Ottavio Bufalini 1736 - 1792

This is Johann Simon Negges's portrait of Giovanni Ottavio Bufalini. The monochrome print utilizes varied shades to convey a sense of depth and texture, an effect heightened by the contrast with the white background. Framed within an oval cartouche, adorned with heraldic emblems, the portrait's structure is a play between the contained and the expansive. The formal rigidity, typical of official portraiture, is softened by the slight asymmetry of Bufalini's gaze. Negges's strategic use of line and shading directs our attention, reinforcing the sitter's status through the semiotics of dress and accoutrements. The frame and text further codify the sitter's identity within a complex web of religious and social hierarchies. This image invites us to decode the visual language of power and representation in the 18th century.