Paus wordt gedragen in een draagstoel c. 1661

This 17th-century engraving by Monogrammist GK presents a scene of solemn procession, dominated by linear precision and contrasting textures. A Pope is carried in a sedan chair, held aloft by several figures, all framed within an ornate, decorative border. The composition is rigidly structured. Notice how the vertical lines of the architecture in the background compete with the procession, creating a tension between the sacred and secular spaces. This tension is reinforced by the textural contrast; the smoothness of the Pope’s garments against the rough hatch marks defining the faces of those carrying him. The monogrammist employs line as a tool for ideological commentary, dissecting the notion of religious authority through careful arrangement of form. The very act of portraying this scene challenges fixed meanings around power. We are left to consider whether this calculated display enhances reverence or exposes the papacy as a construct, a performance carried by human hands.