Portret van kardinaal Curzio Origo 1712 - 1762

Girolamo Rossi made this print of Cardinal Curzio Origo, in Rome, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. The image is framed by the visual codes of heraldry, emblems of family and papal authority. The cultural references serve to locate the Cardinal as a figure of influence in the papal bureaucracy of the time. Prints such as these were often commissioned by the sitter as statements of their power within institutions. In this case, we have Cardinal Origo, who served as Secretary under Pope Clement XI. The print presents Origo as a figure of civic importance, but also of ecclesiastical power. As historians, we might consult sources, such as Papal records, to understand how the social institution of the Catholic Church shaped the Cardinal’s identity and how, in turn, that identity was performed to a wider public.