Portret van James Gibbons before 1891

Giuseppe Felici created this portrait of James Gibbons, possibly as a lithograph, capturing a figure deeply embedded in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Catholic Church. Gibbons rose to become a Cardinal, a position of significant power and influence, during a period of immense social change and religious reform. This portrait encapsulates the complex intersections of faith, power, and identity. As a leading figure in the American Catholic Church, Gibbons navigated the intricate dynamics between the Church's traditional doctrines and the evolving social and political landscape of the United States. The visual representation of Gibbons in his ecclesiastical attire speaks to the authority vested in him by the Church, but also to the expectations and responsibilities that came with his role. Consider, how did Gibbons and the Catholic Church shape, and get shaped by, the social and political issues of their time?