Portret van Tommaso Rospigliosi 1646 - 1679

Albertus Clouwet made this print of Tommaso Rospigliosi using engraving, sometime in the mid to late 17th century. This portrait reminds us that images are rarely neutral; they are always embedded in social and cultural power structures. Consider the visual codes at play here. Rospigliosi is presented in an oval frame, a conventional format for portraits, signaling status and importance. His elaborate wig, lace collar, and armor speak to his aristocratic identity and military role. The inscription reinforces his lineage and titles, rooting him in a specific social hierarchy of 17th-century Europe. We can see the visual language of power and authority being meticulously constructed. The portrait was made in Rome, a city then dominated by powerful families and the Catholic Church. By exploring archival records we can start to understand the social conditions that shaped this image and its reception. What was Rospigliosi's relationship to the Church? What political alliances did his family hold? The answers to questions like these shed light on the social work this image once performed.