Opdracht aan en wapen van Agostino Chigi en gezicht op Rome 1653 - 1691

Cesare Fantetti's print, made around 1670 in Rome, commemorates Agostino Chigi, Prince of Farnese, within a panorama of the city. Here, we see how powerful families like the Chigi used art to cement their status. The print intertwines the family's coat of arms, cherubic figures, and a dedication to Chigi with a sweeping view of Rome. The inscription praises Chigi and Pope Alexander VII, highlighting their contributions to the city's beautification. This conflation of religious, aristocratic, and civic power was a key feature of baroque Rome. Fantetti’s print speaks volumes about the social landscape of its time. As historians, we can dig into archives, family records, and urban plans to fully understand the networks of patronage, power, and artistic production that shaped this image, and in turn, shaped Rome itself. It shows us that art is always embedded in a specific time, place, and set of social relations.