Vijf ontwerpen voor een lijkkist 1698

Filippo Passarini’s etching shows five alternative designs for coffins. The prints are undated and their place of origin is unknown, but the visual clues point to the traditions of Italian baroque design. These aren’t just practical plans: they are elaborate and emotive displays of wealth and status for the families who could afford them. Notice how Passarini uses religious iconography such as crosses and angelic figures which blend into the overall visual effect to create a spectacle of grief. The etching itself is likely to have been circulated within artistic and artisan communities, enabling new fashions and styles to be adopted and adapted. Understanding an artwork like this requires close attention not just to its forms but also to the social rituals that surround death. You could start by looking at archival sources such as funeral records, family trees, and inventories, which may reveal information about the types of coffins used by different social classes and institutions.