Portret van kardinaal Carlo Alberto Guidobono Cavalchini after 1743

This is Antonio Pazzi's portrait of Cardinal Carlo Alberto Guidobono Cavalchini, made using etching. The composition is structured around an oval frame that contains the Cardinal's bust. Note how the clean lines of the oval are contrasted with the intricate heraldic crests placed at the upper corners. These crests, teeming with detail, act as visual anchors, balancing the composition. The artist uses hatching and cross-hatching to define form and texture, particularly in the Cardinal's robes and hair. Light and shadow are carefully modulated, creating a sense of depth. Pazzi's use of line is not merely descriptive, but also functions semiotically, signifying status, authority, and lineage through symbolic representation. In paying close attention to form and structure, the portrait not only captures the likeness of the Cardinal but also speaks to broader systems of power and representation within the Catholic Church and society of the time.