Penning met het portret van bisschop Walcand en de namen van de bisschoppen van Luik 1685 - 1720

This circular print, made by an anonymous artist, depicts Bishop Walcand and lists the Bishops of Liege. Prints like this served an important social function in early modern Europe, shaping historical memory and civic identity. Note the carefully inscribed lists of names arranged in concentric circles around the central figure of the Bishop. This visual organization suggests a divinely ordained succession of power. The print would have been a form of propaganda, reinforcing the authority of the Catholic Church in Liege, a region with a complex political history caught between larger European powers. As a historian, I’m interested in how this image participates in the construction of historical narratives. To understand it fully, I’d want to consult archival records, religious texts, and political pamphlets from the period. Understanding the social and institutional context is crucial to unlocking the print's meaning.