Portret van Josse van Male de Ghorain 1868

Joseph Schubert created this lithograph of Josse van Male de Ghorain in 1867. It resides today in the Rijksmuseum. In nineteenth-century Europe, lithography democratized portraiture, making images of prominent citizens accessible to a wider audience. Here, Josse van Male de Ghorain, an inspector, is portrayed with markers of status: fine clothing, a medal, and a distinguished air. Schubert was Austrian but the text on the lithograph is French, so we can assume the print was made for a French speaking audience. The print commemorates van Male de Ghorain's work for institutions in Brabant, a Dutch/Belgian region with a strong Catholic history. The presence of institutions, along with the awards he received from them, legitimized van Male de Ghorain’s position. To understand this image fully, researchers might investigate the history of Brabant, the role of its institutions, and the biography of van Male de Ghorain. Art gains meaning through its intricate connection to social and institutional contexts.