Plan et elevation des plus beaux confessionnaux de Paris, tres fidelemant mesure Possibly 1688

Jean Le Blond created this etching titled "Plan et elevation des plus beaux confessionnaux de Paris, tres fidelemant mesure," offering a meticulous rendering of Parisian confessionals. Produced in the late 17th century, this print invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in the sacrament of confession. Consider the confessional not just as a piece of furniture, but as a stage where personal narratives meet institutional authority. What does it mean to have one’s innermost thoughts mediated through the architecture of the church? Le Blond’s detailed rendering captures the aesthetic of its time, but it also hints at the negotiation between individual conscience and religious doctrine. This etching serves as a potent reminder of the complex relationship between faith, power, and personal identity in 17th-century France.