Gezicht op de toegang van de rivier Trouille tot de stad Mons 1875 - 1878

Léon Dolez made this etching of the river Trouille in Mons, Belgium, sometime in the late 19th century. The print provides us with a remarkable glimpse into the ways the Industrial Revolution impacted urban life. Dolez shows us the point at which the river enters the city, but rather than pastoral beauty, we find imposing fortifications. The thick, stony banks hem in the water, a testament to the city's military history. Rising above the walls, we see smokestacks, signaling the growth of industry within. Belgium was one of the first countries on the continent to industrialize, and cities like Mons felt the pressures of this change acutely. Dolez’s etching seems to capture a moment of transition, where the old military city is giving way to the new industrial one. Art historians can use city plans, industrial surveys, and military records to better understand the relationship between the urban environment, industrial growth, and social change in 19th century Mons. The meaning of art is always contingent on such contexts.