Wijden van een nieuwe rooms-katholieke kerk 1722

Bernard Picart created this engraving titled 'Wijden van een nieuwe rooms-katholieke kerk’ sometime between 1673 and 1733. Divided into six distinct panels, the artwork captures various stages of a church consecration, rendered in meticulous detail. Notice the near-monochromatic palette, where subtle gradations of light and shadow define the forms of the clerics and the architectural settings. Picart’s arrangement of scenes follows a clear narrative structure, typical of early modern printmaking. Each panel, framed by text, methodically unfolds the ritual, emphasizing the formal gestures and vestments of the clergy. The linear precision, achieved through engraving, invites a reading of the image as a sequence, each step carrying symbolic weight. Consider how Picart uses line and composition not merely to depict a religious ceremony, but to dissect and present its structure. In doing so, he offers a commentary on the role of ritual and the semiotics of religious practice. The image prompts us to consider how structures shape meaning.