Een kalf wordt klaargemaakt om geofferd te worden 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart created this etching, titled 'A Calf Being Prepared for Sacrifice', sometime between 1696 and 1733. As an engraver who reproduced other artists’ work, Picart here offers his interpretation of ancient religious practices. The image depicts a calf on an altar, ready to be sacrificed, surrounded by figures who seem to be preparing the animal and officiating the ceremony. Consider the power dynamics at play here. Who benefits from the sacrifice, and who is rendered powerless? The calf, an innocent creature, becomes a symbol of appeasement, its fate determined by human rituals. There's a tension between the visual clarity of the scene and the unsettling nature of the act. Picart invites us to confront the emotional weight of religious traditions and their impact on both the human and animal worlds. He challenges us to reflect on the choices we make and the consequences that follow.