Portret van kardinaal Angelo Maria Quirini 1712 - 1786

This is Giovanni Marco Pitteri’s portrait of Cardinal Angelo Maria Quirini, made as an engraving. Born in Venice to a patrician family, Quirini lived during a period of intellectual ferment. His commitment to education and libraries reflects the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason and knowledge. Cardinal Quirini's story cannot be separated from the institutional history of the Catholic Church and the Venetian Republic. The portrait seems to indicate his elevated status through symbolic elements such as the elaborate frame and inscription beneath the portrait. To truly understand the work, we need to consider the cultural and political dynamics of 18th-century Venice, and consult resources such as period documents, letters, and institutional records. Art is not created in a vacuum, but reflects the social structures of its time.