Het ware en het valse gebed 1761 - 1804

This print titled "Het ware en het valse gebed" or "The true and the false prayer", was produced by the workshop of the Widow Jacobus van Egmont. Religious prints like this one proliferated in the Netherlands in the 17th Century, commenting on the social structures of the time, especially religious practice. The image contrasts two figures in prayer, one whose prayer rises to heaven while the other’s falls to earthly riches. The background shows these contrasting values, one of earthly wealth and the other with ships sailing into the distance and out of the scene. It is progressive in its message, advocating for a true and spiritual prayer. The print makes use of popular visual codes of its time. To properly understand a print like this, the historian can use resources that shed light on Dutch printmaking workshops and the religious context in which this print was made. The meaning of the image depends on its social and institutional context.