Portret van architect Giovanni Battista Nelli 1690 - 1750

Curator: This is Vincenzo Franceschini’s "Portret van architect Giovanni Battista Nelli", an engraving likely created between 1690 and 1750. Editor: My first impression is…serious. Stern, almost. The subject is imposing with that baroque wig, framed dramatically. Curator: Portraits like this served very specific purposes within the context of 18th-century European society. How do you think an architect’s identity was constructed and conveyed through visual representation at the time? Editor: I imagine there’s an intersection of class, education, and professional standing represented. It's also undeniable, though perhaps subtly, that portraits were also assertions of power. The clothing and the pose signify education and influence. How might it play into coloniality and the role of architects and designers within that setting? Curator: Good point. Visual codes of that time frequently bolstered and reproduced the hierarchy present. And while he is named an architect in the portrait, looking at Nelli through the lens of race and power highlights the fact that his influence might have inadvertently served the goals of colonial expansion, further disenfranchising colonized communities by reinforcing established power dynamics. This is often visible in architecture that overlooks indigenous styles and practices. Editor: It really drives home the power of imagery, doesn’t it? An engraving such as this, accessible in ways painting wouldn’t be, really helps spread these visual messages… the standards of beauty, class, importance, what architecture *should* be, all codified in these lines and curves. The material – the printed nature of this image – democratized this to a certain degree for educational settings and beyond. Curator: Precisely. We see in Nelli’s stern gaze not just an individual, but the embodiment of institutional power and influence that reproduces social order. Editor: Which is a good reminder that portraiture wasn't ever just about capturing an individual. There are many political and social forces always at play. Curator: True, art always reflects and impacts our cultural landscape, challenging us to be more inclusive and question power structures in artistic conventions.