Plate 1: cross-section of the Hall of the Institute of Bologna, which served as the residence for the Clementine Academy, with fresco paintings by Pellegrino Tibaldi in the vault 1756

This print from eighteenth-century Italy by Bartolomeo Crivellari depicts a cross-section of the Hall of the Institute of Bologna, home to the Clementine Academy. Here, Crivellari gives us a glimpse into the world of institutional art. The Clementine Academy was not just a place for artistic training; it was a battleground where artistic styles, particularly the Baroque and the emerging Neoclassical, clashed. Looking closely, we see the architecture of the hall itself, adorned with frescoes, reflecting the values and artistic preferences of the academy. The very structure promotes the approved artistic norms of the time. To fully grasp the print’s significance, we could explore archival records and publications from the Clementine Academy. These sources provide us with insights into the debates that shaped artistic production, and allow us to consider this artwork not just as a visual representation, but as a document that captures the social and institutional forces that shaped artistic expression.