Portret van kardinaal José Sáenz de Aguirre 1691

This is Simon Thaddäus Sondermayr’s portrait of Cardinal José Sáenz de Aguirre. The engraving uses line and shape to create a somber yet dignified image, framed within an oval. Notice how the composition uses geometric forms, from the oval frame to the rectangular base, creating a structured viewing experience. The lines are finely etched to capture light and shadow which define the Cardinal’s features and clothing. Text encircles the portrait, turning the artwork into a semiotic system. The Cardinal's gaze is direct and his posture erect, thus conveying authority and control. The formal structure of the portrait, with its emphasis on order and clarity, serves to reinforce the Cardinal’s status within the religious hierarchy, inviting us to consider how such images were used to communicate power. We might even see the portrait as an exercise in what Foucault called the 'technologies of the self'. The Cardinal is not merely depicted, but constructed, through the visual language of power.