Priester voor een altaar met twee misdienaars 1661

Sébastien Leclerc I created this print, *Priest Before an Altar with Two Altar Boys,* using etching. Notice how Leclerc arranges the composition to draw the eye upward, beginning with the altar boys at the bottom and culminating in the figures at the top. Leclerc uses linear precision to construct depth, especially in the side walls and drapes, giving us a glimpse into an architectural space. The composition is divided into clear, distinct zones: the earthly realm of the priest and altar boys in the foreground, separated by a line from the raised altar space, which ascends to a heavenly backdrop depicting a religious scene. This structural separation emphasizes the connection between earthly ritual and divine narrative. The etching's form invites contemplation on how religious spaces are constructed to facilitate a visual and spiritual journey. Leclerc's structured layering of elements—from the physical to the ethereal—shows how form guides meaning.