Groep mannen in de rivier de Lesse before 1888

This is a photograph by Charles Puttemans, titled 'Group of men in the river Lesse' published as part of the Brussels Exhibition of 1888. The image shows several men wading through a river, in what was then, the Belgian countryside. What are the social conditions that shape artistic production? The late 19th century in Belgium was a time of rapid industrialization and social change. Photography, as a relatively new medium, was becoming increasingly accessible and was used in occasions such as this fair to document, celebrate, and promote aspects of Belgian life, including its landscape and leisure activities. The choice of subject matter and the way it is presented, reveals a certain romanticism and nostalgia for rural life, perhaps in response to the urbanization and industrial growth of the period. To understand it better we would need to examine the broader context of photographic practices and exhibition culture in Belgium at that time.