Toediening van het vormsel in de kerk op het Begijnhof te Amsterdam, 1792 1794

Daniël Vrijdag created this print in 1792, depicting the sacrament of confirmation in Amsterdam. The image is rendered through the graphic processes of etching and engraving. Look closely, and you'll see how the composition depends on the sharp contrast of fine lines against blank paper. This aesthetic was very popular at the time, as it mimicked the cool rationality of the Enlightenment. Yet, the making of prints was also an industrial process, requiring a division of labor. While Vrijdag designed the image, specialist engravers would have been responsible for the intricate linework. Consider, too, how this print would have circulated. It was made to be distributed and collected, a relatively inexpensive item that could bring the spectacle of the church into people’s homes. The image thus straddles two worlds: the sacred space of the Begijnhof church and the increasingly secular space of the Dutch Republic. By understanding the print's materiality and methods of production, we can appreciate its deeper social and cultural significance.