Allegorisch vignet met het wapen van een kardinaal 1716 - 1761

Curator: The work before us is titled "Allegorisch vignet met het wapen van een kardinaal," or "Allegorical vignette with the coat of arms of a cardinal." It's an engraving by Pieter Tanjé, likely created between 1716 and 1761, and it's part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: My first thought? Drama. It's all billowing robes and distressed expressions. The sheer number of figures packed in makes it feel so full, almost overflowing with significance. And what's up with the rooster? Curator: Exactly. That density is very deliberate. This vignette utilizes the visual language of baroque allegory, meant to impress and convey multiple layers of meaning simultaneously. Coats of arms in the 18th century were important visual signifiers not only of power but of allegiance. These images helped define how both powerful religious figures wanted to be perceived and how they wanted to exert soft power within the communities they led. Editor: So it's not just showing off their bling, it's sending a message. The figures really sell that sense of... self-importance. Everything about it feels so staged, like a theatrical production of faith and authority. Even the way those putti cluster around; the scene almost feels suffocating to my modern eyes. Curator: Absolutely. The work draws heavily from academic art traditions emphasizing formal technique and symbolism. Consider the figures themselves – the cardinal's coat of arms sits elevated while virtues such as Charity, Truth, or Wisdom stand beside, and a vanquished sin, represented by that bent, haggard man in the foreground, wallows in the shadows at the bottom. It reinforces hierarchical structures, positioning the Church as a protector and dispenser of grace. Editor: So the guy by the rooster really sold it. If anything that imagery would have reminded me what needed changing, needed grace, in that time. It does work, in a strange way, and really brings together the message with its heavy emotion. I love how the rooster challenges him and it is really funny! Curator: Seeing this artwork lets us understand some of the specific visual strategies baroque artists adopted for promoting certain political figures. It’s fascinating how certain choices of art were used. Editor: I totally get that it shows off not only art, but propaganda of its own kind, especially in the religious arena! You've definitely opened my eyes to looking at that chicken!