Octavio Piccolomini de Aragona 1649

Curator: This portrait of Octavio Piccolomini, engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger, is teeming with symbols of power and status. What strikes you first? Editor: It feels very formal and imposing, all the Latin inscriptions and elaborate ornamentation. What would someone in Piccolomini’s time have understood from this image? Curator: The eagles, the coat of arms, even the inscription “Finis Belli, Pax,” all speak to Piccolomini’s high rank and the hope for peace. It’s like a carefully constructed PR campaign etched in ink! Editor: So it's not just a likeness, it's crafting a specific image? Curator: Exactly. It makes me wonder, what parts are truth, and what parts are aspirational spin? Fascinating, isn't it? Editor: It is. It makes you wonder what he was really like.