Interieur van de kerk de Liefde te Amsterdam 1791

Daniël Veelwaard made this print of the Interior of the Church de Liefde in Amsterdam. What strikes me is the way that this image performs a kind of public relations on behalf of the Catholic Church. It was produced at a time when Catholics in the Netherlands were still subject to legal restrictions and social prejudice. Notice how the church interior is depicted as orderly, clean, and rationally organized, connoting a sense of respectability. The pillars, arches, and decorations all point to classical ideals of harmony and proportion. The church is populated by well-dressed and orderly figures, suggesting a congregation of upstanding citizens. To understand this image better, one could consult archives of religious and social organizations in the Netherlands at this time, as well as printed sermons and other polemical literature. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.