Design for a Pulpit, Plate 3 from an Untitled Series of Pulpit Designs 1745 - 1755

This is Plate 3 from Carl Pier's "Untitled Series of Pulpit Designs," an engraving that offers a glimpse into the world of 18th-century ecclesiastical architecture. During this period, the pulpit was more than a place for delivering sermons; it was a powerful symbol of religious authority and social hierarchy. Pier’s design is awash with ornate details: billowing clouds topped with sun rays, scrolling acanthus leaves, and a complex vertical structure. This level of ornamentation reflected the church's cultural dominance at a time when religion played a central role in dictating social norms and moral values. Yet this very opulence raises questions. Who did this splendor serve, and whose voices were amplified or silenced within these spaces? How might the faithful, particularly those on the margins of society, have experienced this visual spectacle? Consider what it might have felt like to stand beneath such a structure, dwarfed by its grandeur and the weight of its symbolic power. This design invites us to reflect on the intricate relationships between power, faith, and the human experience.