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Papal conclave following the death of Pope Alessandro VII, with an iconographic map of Vatican City and scenes of the funeral, procession, and election of the new pope

Publisher Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi Italian
1667
Not on view
Conclave prints, circulated at the death of a pope, began to appear in Rome in the 16th century. The purpose of a conclave print was to reveal the secret and mysterious ritual surrounding the election of a new pope. With carefully compartmented scenes showing the funerary rites, a map of Vatican City, and the election including a list of names of the voting cardinals; conclave prints became popular among tourists to Rome.

The timeframe in which these prints were rushed to the market paired with the unchanging rituals meant that many of the images could be repeated from one conclave to the next. For a similar print illustrating the conclave following the death of Pope Clement IX, see: British Museum 1987,0113.204.

(Information from: Evelyn Lincoln, "Publishing, Secrecy and Curiosity in a German Conclave Print," Art in Print 2, Number 4 (November-December, 2012).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Papal conclave following the death of Pope Alessandro VII, with an iconographic map of Vatican City and scenes of the funeral, procession, and election of the new pope
  • Publisher: Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi (Italian, Rome 1627–1691 Rome)
  • Date: 1667
  • Medium: Etching
  • Dimensions: Sheet (Trimmed): 9 3/8 × 13 13/16 in. (23.8 × 35.1 cm)
  • Classifications: Prints, Prints-Fete, Ornament & Architecture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Henry W. Kent, transferred from the Printing Office
  • Object Number: 41.44.1681
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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