Portret van kardinaal Sigismund von Kollonitsch 1727 - 1731

This engraving of Cardinal Sigismund von Kollonitsch was made in Rome around 1722 by Gasparo Massi. It shows the Archbishop of Vienna, appointed Cardinal by Pope Benedict XIII. Portraits such as these played a crucial role in shaping the image and authority of powerful figures within the Church. Consider how the composition, with its oval frame and heraldic symbols, reinforces the Cardinal's status. The inscription below the image explicitly credits Pope Benedict, underscoring the institutional power dynamics at play. The print was produced at a time when the Catholic Church was asserting itself and seeking to reinforce its authority through visual propaganda. Analyzing such artworks allows historians to understand the self-presentation strategies of influential figures and the ways in which institutions like the Church deployed images to maintain social control. To further understand this print, one might consult archival records of the Vatican, biographical sources on Cardinal Kollonitsch, and studies of religious imagery in the 18th century. By looking at the historical context, we can better understand the meaning of this artwork as a product of its time.