Portret van Juan Bautista Berardicelli, 68ste Minister Generaal van de franciscaner orde 1710 - 1738

This print of Juan Bautista Berardicelli, the 68th Minister General of the Franciscan Order, was made by Antonio Luciani in the first half of the 18th century. It’s an engraving, which is to say, it was made by carefully incising lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then pressing paper to receive the image. The result is a work of great precision, but also one that is completely dependent on the engraver's skill. Notice the fineness of the lines defining Berardicelli's face, and how these are made to swell or diminish to suggest light and shadow. The inscription below is likewise remarkable, both for its formal arrangement and for the information it provides. In a way, this is a kind of proto-photography, fixing the image and identity of this important figure. But it is also a testament to the engraver's patient labor, a quality often overlooked in our appreciation of prints. Understanding the 'how' helps us to appreciate the 'what' all the more.