Fotoreproductie van de gravure Les scieurs de long before 1860

Edmond Fierlants created this reproduction of an engraving, titled "Les scieurs de long," sometime in the 19th century in Belgium. The scene shows a workshop where angels saw wood under the supervision of the Holy Family. But, like many other works of art, it's engaged in a debate about the role of labor in society, particularly in the context of 19th-century Belgium, a country undergoing rapid industrialization. Consider the status of manual labor at this time, with new technologies and modes of production emerging. The act of depicting angels engaged in manual labor challenges traditional notions of hierarchy and divine work. It could be seen as an endorsement of the value and dignity of human labor, or, conversely, as a critique of its exploitation. To understand its meaning better, we can look at documents like economic surveys, social commentaries, and even trade union publications from that period. We start to see how the image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations.