Pope Innocent XII 1692

Editor: This is a medal of Pope Innocent XII, made by Giovanni Martino Hamerani. It's small, about 4.5 centimeters in diameter. What strikes me is how much power is concentrated in such a tiny object. What do you see in it? Curator: I see the weight of papal authority, literally pressed into metal. How was this object used to legitimize power structures? Did it circulate widely, shaping public perception of the papacy, or was its influence more confined to elite circles? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about who the audience was. Curator: Consider how gender, class, and religious affiliations impacted access to and interpretation of such imagery. Whose stories are amplified, and whose are silenced by this representation of power? Editor: I see, it's not just about the Pope, but about how his image reinforces a whole system. Curator: Exactly. And what resistances might have existed to this visual rhetoric of dominance? Understanding art is understanding the complexities of power. Editor: Thanks, I hadn't thought of it that way before.