Ornament met wierookvat 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart created this ornament with incense burner, using etching, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th century. Picart lived during a time of significant religious and political upheaval in Europe. Born into a Catholic family, he later converted to Protestantism, reflecting the shifting religious landscape of the era. The incense burner was not merely a functional object but a symbol laden with cultural and religious significance. Incense, used in various religious ceremonies, including Catholic and some Protestant traditions, represented prayer, purification, and reverence. Picart, moving between Catholicism and Protestantism, positions the incense burner as a charged object, embodying themes of religious expression. The detailed etching work emphasizes the materiality of the incense burner, highlighting its ornate design and the textural quality of the smoke. This focus on detail can be seen as a reflection of the broader artistic and cultural interest in material culture and sensory experience. In rendering the incense burner, Picart invites us to consider the complex interplay between religious practice, material culture, and personal identity.