Portret van kardinaal Benedetto Odescalchi 1658

Albertus Clouwet made this print of Cardinal Benedetto Odescalchi in 1645. The print would have been produced in multiples and circulated in Rome, then a Papal state in which the Catholic Church had significant political power. Clouwet was working at a time in which the printing press was changing the public image of powerful people. The composition here is conventional, but note how the Cardinal's coat of arms is placed prominently at the upper left. Coats of arms were important symbols of social status. By placing them at the top, Clouwet reinforces the Cardinal's high rank in the Church and in Roman society. Historical research can tell us more about the Cardinal’s life. What was his political role? What were the sources of his wealth? Answering these questions helps us to understand how art played a part in the creation and maintenance of social hierarchies.