Gezicht op een rookruimte en een schoorsteenmantel in renaissancestijl in het huis van Edouard van den Corput in Brussel, België before 1898

G. Choppinet captured this photograph of a smoking room in the Brussels home of Edouard van den Corput. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, domestic spaces were powerful signifiers of class and taste, and photography played a crucial role in constructing and disseminating these ideals. The image presents a room designed in the Renaissance style, reflecting the era's fascination with historical revivalism. The smoking room, a space traditionally associated with masculine leisure, is lavishly decorated. This setting speaks to the gendered division of space and the performance of bourgeois identity. Consider how such spaces were not merely backdrops, but active participants in shaping social roles and personal expression. Ultimately, this photograph offers a glimpse into the construction of identity, and the material culture of a bygone era.