Portret van Petro Giannone 1716 - 1761

This is Jeremias Jakob Sedelmayr’s portrait of Petro Giannone, made in the 18th century using etching and engraving. Giannone was an Italian historian and lawyer whose most famous work, "Istoria civile del regno di Napoli," challenged the Catholic Church's authority, leading to his excommunication and imprisonment. Sedelmayr’s engraving offers a glimpse into the intellectual and political tensions of the Enlightenment. Giannone is depicted not just as an individual, but as a figure embodying the era's challenges to traditional power structures. Think about the courage it must have taken to question established institutions and the personal cost of standing up for one's beliefs. Giannone spent the last years of his life in prison for these beliefs. This portrait invites us to consider the relationship between intellectual freedom, personal conviction, and the power of the state. In a time of shifting social and political landscapes, Giannone dared to challenge established norms, leaving a legacy that continues to provoke thought.