Portret van Angelus Berlendis Vicet 1785

This print of Angelus Berlendis Vicet was made by Gaetano Testolini in the late 18th or early 19th century. We see the profile of a man framed by an oval, a conventional way of depicting status within the artistic institutions of Europe at this time. Prints like this one served a vital social function. In an era before photography, prints disseminated images of important figures throughout society. This particular portrait memorializes Vicet as an eloquent member of the Royal University of Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia. During this period, universities played a key role in shaping intellectual and political life. They were also closely tied to systems of power, often serving as training grounds for the elite. Consider the way the image and the text work together to communicate not only Vicet's likeness, but also his social position and intellectual abilities. To fully understand this image, we might consult university archives, biographical dictionaries, and period publications. Art history depends on this kind of contextual research to illuminate the social life of images.