ABSTRACT
French illustrator Bernard Picart was responsible for the execution, but also for the conception and selection, of the engravings in Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde. This chapter interprets the elaborate orchestration of images, in terms of their subject, size, and sequence within the volumes, as a targeted visual provocation. Picart sought to elicit emotions of sympathy or irritation, of identification or rejection. By challenging the public to recognize the universal aspects of religious ceremonies, the needs they fulfil and dangers they entail, he intended to stimulate a reflection on religion beyond questions of denomination, confession or race.
