Portret van antiquair Filippo Buonarroti 1755 - 1805

Curator: This engraving, produced sometime between 1755 and 1805 by Gaetano Vascellini, presents us with a portrait of Filippo Buonarroti, an antiquarian. It’s a strikingly formal image, executed in the baroque style. Editor: My first impression is how intensely staged it all feels. Look at that wig, the lace, the dramatic pointing finger—it screams privilege, a studied performance of power. Curator: The composition emphasizes balance. The sitter's face is centrally placed, drawing our eye immediately. Note the intricate detail of the engraving technique, creating subtle gradations of light and shadow that model his features. It creates a real sense of depth and volume. Editor: And yet, the trappings of wealth feel suffocating. This man existed at a time when inequalities were being solidified into institutions, so the opulence displayed probably came at a great social cost to marginalized groups of people at the time. What narrative is prioritized here? Curator: One could argue that the engraving immortalizes Buonarroti, preserving his legacy as a scholar and an esteemed member of society through its artistry and craftsmanship. This medium—engraving—lends permanence and prestige, suggesting that the artwork embodies ideal forms through idealized visual presentation. Editor: I see that presentation as a very calculated projection. While claiming to preserve a legacy, it conceals, glosses over social injustice to maintain a certain image. Can the medium also become complicit by only depicting members of the ruling class, thereby obscuring the labor, and struggles upon which it depends? Curator: By dissecting Vascellini’s choices as an artist—the textures, tonal range, and spatial dynamics—we find symbolic meaning that reveals structural patterns which govern visual systems. Editor: And I find questions regarding structures of social control. Understanding those embedded dynamics makes the experience complete.