Ontwerpen voor een altaar 1698

This is an altar design made by Filippo Passarini, rendered with ink on paper. It’s a sketch, not a fully realized object. But the lines tell us quite a lot about process and intention. Note how every element is carefully considered: the grand candelabras, the kneeling figures, the ornate carvings on the altar front. Each detail would have required significant skill and time to execute in three dimensions. The design suggests a world where labor is lavished on devotional objects, where even the most humble worshipper would be confronted with overwhelming beauty. The print medium itself is crucial here. It allowed Passarini to disseminate his ideas, becoming a template for craftsmen to follow, whether in wood, stone, or precious metals. The design would also have served as a demonstration of his own artistry, a portfolio piece, a calling card. By understanding the drawing in terms of its intended realization, we see how closely linked design, craft, and social aspiration really are.