Twee metalen kandelaars met voetstuk, opgesteld op een tentoonstelling over religieuze objecten uit de middeleeuwen en renaissance in 1864 in Mechelen

Joseph Maes made this print of two metal candlesticks in 1864 during an exhibition of religious objects from the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Mechelen. The candlesticks, with their intricate Gothic details, evoke the grandeur of religious ritual. The print is a document of the 1864 exhibition, reflecting the 19th-century interest in medieval and Renaissance art. Belgium, like other European countries, experienced a surge of nationalism that led to the preservation and study of its artistic heritage. The exhibition can be understood as a public display of national pride, framing religious artifacts as cultural treasures. Art historians consult exhibition catalogs, newspaper reviews, and institutional records to better understand such cultural displays. By studying the social and institutional context, we can better grasp the various meanings that viewers in the past attributed to art.