Koning Klotwig gedoopt en gezalfd door bisschop Remigius 1805

Reinier Vinkeles created this engraving of ‘Koning Klotwig gedoopt en gezalfd door bisschop Remigius’ using lines and contrasting shades to depict the baptism of King Clovis. The composition centres on the kneeling figure of Clovis, dominating the foreground, with Bishop Remigius standing over him, hand raised in blessing. The engraving’s structural arrangement uses perspective to draw the eye towards the king, positioning him as the focal point of spiritual and earthly power. The texture created by the fine lines of the engraving adds depth to the scene, giving a tactile quality to the robes and the stone architecture. Vinkeles uses the semiotic language of his time, with the visual cues of religious ceremony and royal presentation speaking to contemporary ideas about divine right and the role of the church in legitimizing power. The formal qualities of this engraving demonstrate the intersection of religious narrative and political ideology.