Commissie voor reorganisatie van de Antwerpse Academie 1879

Charles Verlat created this print titled 'Commissie voor reorganisatie van de Antwerpse Academie'. It depicts a group of men gathered around a table, seemingly in deep discussion or perhaps debate. The piece offers a glimpse into the dynamics of power and decision-making within the academic establishment of 19th-century Antwerp. The fact that the committee is exclusively male is revealing. It speaks volumes about the gendered nature of institutional authority at the time. What roles were women allowed to play, if any? It prompts us to question the perspectives and biases that might have shaped the academy's policies and direction. As an artist, Verlat was attuned to the social and political currents of his time, and his art often reflected his liberal, anti-clerical views. He offers a look at not just the literal reorganization of an institution, but also at the subtle cues of identity, power, and exclusion that shape its very foundations.