Leopold, Graf von Firmian, Abp. of Salzburg c. 18th century

Editor: This is a portrait of Leopold, Graf von Firmian, Archbishop of Salzburg, by Johann Heinrich Störklin. The print has a formality to it, with the oval frame and the heraldic crest. What strikes you about this image? Curator: Look closer. Consider the context of the Archbishop during the Counter-Reformation. How did figures like Firmian wield power, and who did they marginalize in the process? The ornate presentation almost serves to obscure the realities of religious and political control at the time, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I see what you mean. The opulence becomes a way to distance him from those he governed. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: It's vital to question these displays of power. Whose stories are missing?