Het sacrament van de biecht 1712 - 1786

Giovanni Marco Pitteri created this print, titled "Het sacrament van de biecht" or "Penitence Sacramentum" in Latin, using engraving techniques. It depicts a confessional scene, where women line up to confess to a monk. The image, steeped in religious symbolism, reflects the prevailing social and cultural norms of its time, likely the 18th century, given Pitteri's artistic period. The Catholic Church's influence is evident in this image, as the sacrament of confession served as a cornerstone of social control, emphasizing moral behaviour and obedience. The print may have served didactic and devotional purposes, reinforcing religious doctrine among believers. To truly grasp the print's place, we’d look at religious art's role within institutions like the Church, and devotional printmaking, alongside the social history of gender and confession. In this way, the power of this image rests on its entanglement with social and institutional practices.