Portret van kardinaal Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona 1706 - 1762

This is a portrait of Cardinal Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona, made by Girolamo Rossi. The print has a striking formal structure, framed by an oval border that immediately directs our gaze to the cardinal's face. Rossi uses line and texture to define forms and create contrasts, notice the cardinal’s curly wig, which seems to explode outward. The composition is carefully balanced. We see the textured lines of the cardinal’s robes contrasting with his face. This contrast serves not only to highlight the cardinal’s face but also to emphasize his texture. Rossi’s strategic use of line and texture serves as a semiotic system that communicates power, status, and identity. It invites us to decode the image, relating its aesthetic qualities to the cultural and historical context in which it was made.