De heilige Romualdus 1739 - 1780

This engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi depicts Saint Romuald, founder of the Camaldolese order, and it invites us to reflect on the social function of religious imagery in eighteenth-century Europe. Look closely at the visual codes Bartolozzi employs: the saint is surrounded by symbols of devotion and penitence, the skull, the cross, and angels. These are not simply neutral images, they are laden with cultural references deeply embedded in the religious and social fabric of the time. Italy, with its powerful Church and artistic traditions, provided a fertile ground for such works, but institutional patronage shaped artistic production. The image is conservative in that it reinforces religious doctrine and the authority of the Church. Yet, it invites the viewer to contemplate the values of piety and asceticism. To truly understand the image, we can consult historical texts and records to understand the role of religious orders in society, as well as the biographies of prominent figures, like Saint Romuald himself.