Portret van Carlo Cignani 1789

Carlo Lasinio created this portrait of Carlo Cignani using aquatint, a printmaking technique popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Look at the placement of the sitter’s hand, it holds a quill—the instrument of creation and knowledge. This isn't merely a tool; it's a symbol. The quill connects Cignani to a lineage of thinkers and artists. Consider, for instance, the depictions of Saint Matthew, often shown with a quill, receiving divine inspiration to write the Gospel. This pose suggests a conduit between intellect and expression. It is a gesture that echoes through time, reappearing in various forms. Think of the scholar, hunched over a manuscript, quill in hand, or the author, penning revolutionary ideas. The act of writing, memorialized here, becomes an assertion of intellect and a commitment to posterity. The symbol of the quill carries with it a deep-seated human desire to leave our mark. It invites us to ponder the weight of words and the enduring power of the written image.