Effigies Nomina et Cocnomina Clementis Papae IX
1640-1703
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-94-123
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Gérard Audran (1640–1703), a masterful French engraver from a renowned family of printmakers, created *Effigies Nomina Cocnomina Clementisae IX*, a striking print honoring Pope Clement IX (reigned 1667–1669). This work captures the likeness, names, and titles of the pontiff, reflecting the era's fascination with papal portraiture as a symbol of spiritual and political authority. Audran's intricate engravings often reproduced paintings by leading Baroque artists, blending technical precision with dramatic flair to elevate prints from mere reproductions to standalone artworks. As a 17th-century...