Portret van Jacopo Sadoleto 1549 - 1584

This is an engraving of Jacopo Sadoleto, made by an anonymous artist. Sadoleto lived during a tumultuous period in the Catholic Church, marked by the rise of Protestantism and the subsequent Counter-Reformation. In this portrait, Sadoleto is depicted with the tools of scholarship, quill and paper, emphasizing his identity as a humanist and a man of letters. But it’s not just his intellect that the artist captures; there’s a weariness in his eyes, a weight that speaks to the burden of navigating complex theological and political landscapes. Portraits like these, especially of religious figures, were often used to project an image of authority and piety. However, the intimate scale of this engraving offers something more personal, inviting us to consider the human element behind the historical figure. What kind of man was he? What did he care about? What did he fear?