Design for a Pulpit, Plate 1 from an Untitled Series of Pulpit Designs 1745 - 1755

This print by Martin Engelbrecht, dating from the early 18th century, is a design for a pulpit, and shows us the visual language of faith at the time. The primary material here is ink on paper, but the image gives insight into woodworking. Look closely, and you’ll see layer upon layer of ornament. Festoons of carved leaves and flowers, ornate balustrades, and classical columns are all precisely delineated. The design suggests a tremendous amount of labor. This would have been executed by skilled craftsmen, trained in workshops, steeped in traditions passed down through generations. Engelbrecht’s print allows us to imagine the finished object in all its glory, and also consider the complex social dynamics that it represents. It embodies the visual opulence of Baroque architecture and the intense human effort required to produce the kind of visual experience that moved people closer to the divine. By considering the making, we can think about not only design, but also labor, class, and the very concept of devotion.