Portret van Giovanni Vigerio, 46ste Minister Generaal van de franciscaner orde 1710 - 1738

Curator: Look at the weight of those lines! This engraving, attributed to Antonio Luciani, depicts Giovanni Vigerio, the 46th Minister General of the Franciscan Order. We believe it was created sometime between 1710 and 1738. Editor: Striking. And immediately somber, wouldn't you agree? That tight, almost claustrophobic framing…it lends a sense of immense gravity to his role. The gaze he gives is…knowing, somehow. Like he can see clean through time itself. Curator: Absolutely. It's a characteristic Baroque portrait, meant to convey authority. Consider the text-filled cartouche beneath the portrait. This format emphasizes Vigerio’s accomplishments and virtues – the traditional markers of social standing. Editor: Those delicate line-work roses in each corner of the oval—aren't they interesting too? They remind me that the serious austerity in this depiction exists inside a context of richness. It brings out the complex emotional contrasts here: piety, intellect, strength and… vulnerability. Curator: It's interesting that you mention roses. Vigerio’s biography, inscribed on the print, states that he was a bishop in Asia; the flowers within the ornate, rectangular frame hint at a potential fusion of cultures. And in Christianity roses often symbolize the Virgin Mary, thus representing holiness. Editor: Holiness! It feels so loaded, a heavy weight to carry—much like the dark clothing that weighs his figure down. Is that dark seriousness about god? Maybe... Or is it a reflection on the demands of leadership, on service? Curator: One cannot separate religion from Baroque Europe! Vigerio’s print was likely commissioned by the Franciscan order. It reinforced not only his status, but also their influence within the broader social and political landscape. The church needed visible signs to reinforce its institutional identity. Editor: Ultimately, for me it's the tension between the detail—every line of his face etched with what I'd almost call a haunted depth—and the symbolic nature of the rendering. A powerful man, a leader, but one seen in an almost unbearably human light. Curator: A remarkable synthesis. This single print speaks volumes about artistic expression, power, and the visual strategies through which identities are created and upheld within society.