Schepen in het water langs een oever met daarop een kerk 1866 - 1910

Frans Hens created this etching of ships on the water along a bank with a church sometime between 1870 and 1928. The murky lines of the etching capture a specific sense of place, probably in Belgium where Hens was a painter of genre scenes, landscapes, portraits and urban scenes. The print shows a grounded, solid church contrasting with the boats drifting on the water. In the 19th century, as social and economic life moved towards industrial production and urban centers, traditional rural life became a focus of nostalgia. Hens was part of a generation of artists who looked to the countryside for authentic scenes of labor and leisure. The image suggests the enduring power of the church as an institution, even as secular life gained prominence. To further understand this etching, one might research the histories of labor and religion in Belgium, as well as histories of art exhibitions and institutions that displayed such images. Paying attention to social and institutional contexts helps us understand the meaning of art.