Pope Clement XI issuing an Apostolic Constitution (decree) in the form of the papal bull 'Unigenitus' of September 1713, condemning the principles of Jansenism. Etching attribued to J. Folkema, ca. 1724.

In the centre, Pope Clement XI (pope from 1700 to 1721) on a throne. With his right hand he gives the "Constitutie" to a blindfolded woman personifying Modern Truth, who passes copies of it on to blindfolded putti wearing Jesuit's birettas. With his left hand he hurls thunderbolts at a naked woman personifying Ancient Truth. In front of the throne, Pope Innocent XIII (pope from 1721 to 1724) kneels and kisses Pope Clement's feet. In the left foreground, putti trample on a portrait of Pasquier Quesnel, author of the Jansenist work Abrégé de la morale de l'Evangile (1671). On the right a putto destroys with an axe a portrait of Cornelius Jansenius, after whom Jansenism is named. Further right, Jesuit grasshoppers labelled "Acceptanten" spit fire at (French?) geese labelled "Apellanten", who spit water back. Background left, Saint Peter's in Rome, and right, Castel Sant'Angelo

On a canopy behind Pope Clement are the papal crossed keys and two scenes including bulls, a play on the papal bull: left, a bull chases fleeing men; right, the pope sacrifices a bull on an altar

[The Netherlands?] : [publisher not identified], [between 1720 and 1729]

1 print : etching, with engraving ; platemark 35.7 x 28.1 cm

De praalende Constitutie. La Constitution triomfant. De al-oude waarheid ... du moin au purgatoire. Below the etching, engraved lettering in two columns, containing above 22 verses in Dutch and below 22 verses in French (paraphrasing the Dutch)

Muller speculates that the print-maker might be Folkema, i.e. Jacob Folkema (1692-1767)

F. Muller, De nederlandsche geschiedenis in platen, part 2, Amsterdam: Frederik Muller, 1870, no. 3707

Not found in: British Museum, Catalogue of political and personal satires

Wellcome Collection 2136961i