Portret van geestelijke Hyacintus Machiatus after 1702

Niccolo Fantini made this print of Hyacintus Machiatus, a priest of Fermo, Italy, likely around 1702. The engraving gives us a glimpse into the world of the Catholic Church and its efforts to reinforce its religious authority through portraiture. The image of Machiatus holding a book suggests the importance of religious texts and the power of knowledge within the Church. The book could also be a symbol of the intellectual life, showing Machiatus as a learned and wise figure. The engraving technique, with its precise lines and details, would have been a means of mass-producing images and spreading them throughout the region. As such, it's a visual statement about the Church's influence. To fully understand the social context of this portrait, we can look at the history of the Catholic Church in Fermo, and the role of religious imagery in shaping beliefs and values. Doing so allows us to see how this print was part of a larger effort to reinforce social norms.