Quentino Sella, Italian scientist and politician 1862

Émile Bayard created this image of Quintino Sella, the Italian scientist and politician, using engraving, a printmaking technique, sometime in the late nineteenth century. Sella was a leading figure in the Italian government during the period of unification, and this print might have appeared in an illustrated newspaper or magazine. Bayard's image presents Sella as a model of bourgeois respectability. His suit and bow tie are rendered with careful detail. The engraver's skill gives a sense of depth and texture to the image. Note the heavy beard, which was a standard feature of male portraiture in this period. The print emphasizes Sella's status and authority. It presents an idealized image of a powerful politician, the kind of figure who helped shape the new Italian state. Art historians consult archives, newspapers and printed ephemera to discover more about the image's original context. Only in this way can we better understand the role of images in shaping public opinion.