Landschap met begrafenisstoet 1666 - 1695

Jean Pesne created this etching, "Landscape with Funeral Procession," in the late 17th century. The image depicts a funeral procession in a windswept landscape, presumably in Italy, given Pesne's long residence in Rome. The procession leads to a church with mourners gathered outside, while monks in the foreground read from a book. The naturalistic depiction of the windswept trees and the rather humble, rural church suggest a focus on the everyday realities of death and mourning. Consider how the institutions of the church are presented. Is this a moment of solemn ritual, or something more intimate and personal? Is the church presented as a powerful, monolithic institution, or as a local community? To understand this print fully, we might turn to period documents about funeral practices, religious beliefs, and the role of the Church in 17th-century Italian society. Only through such research can we hope to grasp the full meaning of an artwork so rooted in its social and institutional context.