Joannes Angelus Braschi

The central figure is Joannes Angelus Braschi, whose birthdate (27 December 1717) and the date of his creation or perhaps a significant appointment (15 February 1775) are recorded in the surrounding text. The surrounding verses praise Braschi’s virtue and his service to the Church, likening him to a shepherd who inherits the Chair of Peter and celebrating his role under Pope VI.

Executed by the Amsterdam engraver Rein Vinkeles, the image employs fine cross‑hatching to render the likeness and the intricate heraldic elements of the papal insignia. The engraving is signed “Rein Vinkeles, engraved after the original painting of Rome,” indicating a faithful translation of the painted source into a print medium, typical of 18th‑century reproductive engraving.

The original painting, attributed to an unknown artist (noted as N.N. pinxit, Romæ), was likely created in Rome before being sent to the Netherlands for engraving. The print bears the imprint of the Amsterdam publishers T. and J.A. Crajenschot, suggesting it was produced for a European market interested in ecclesiastical portraiture.

Braschi’s portrait reflects the close ties between high clerical officials and the papacy during the late Baroque period, when papal imagery and personal heraldry were commonly used to affirm loyalty and status. The inclusion of poetic verses and the papal coat of arms underscores the propagandistic function of such portraits in reinforcing ecclesiastical hierarchy.

While the original painting remains unidentified, Vinkeles’s engraving preserves Braschi’s likeness and the associated iconography for posterity. The print serves as a visual document of 18th‑century papal patronage and the network of artists and engravers who disseminated official portraiture across Europe.