Negen kaarten met spotprenten op de Roomse Onfeilbaarheid, 1724 1724

This series of satirical prints targeting Roman infallibility was created in 1724 by an anonymous artist, etched on paper with remarkable detail. Note the recurring motif of figures kneeling before the Pope, laden with symbols of authority. The act of kneeling itself carries a profound historical weight, from ancient rituals of submission to religious acts of reverence. We see echoes of this gesture in Byzantine art, where emperors received supplication, and even in early pagan rites. The shifting significance of kneeling mirrors the complex dance between power, submission, and the sacred. The artist plays upon our collective memory, tapping into a primal understanding of hierarchy and reverence. Such an emotionally charged image reminds us of the enduring power of symbols to provoke, persuade, and shape our understanding of the world. These symbols are not fixed but are carried through time, evolving in a non-linear fashion.