Portret van Joseph Charles de Meulemeester 1842

Coenraad Hamburger created this portrait of Joseph Charles de Meulemeester in 1842. The lithograph gives us a glimpse into the world of the 19th-century Belgian elite. Joseph Charles, with his confident gaze and formal attire, embodies the image of a self-assured bourgeois man. But what stories lie behind that composed exterior? As a portrait, it participates in the tradition of commemorating and celebrating individuals, usually men of a certain social standing. Yet, it’s also important to consider what this image leaves out. What about the experiences of women during this time, or those from different racial and economic backgrounds whose stories were rarely documented or valued in the same way? It invites us to reflect on whose histories are preserved and whose are often forgotten. While Hamburger’s portrait may seem like a straightforward depiction, it holds layers of social and cultural meaning, inviting us to contemplate both the visible and the invisible forces that shape our understanding of the past.