Visitekaartje voor drukkerij Louis Guyard te Gent c. 1830 - 1870

This is Louis Guyard's business card for his printing company in Gent, made using lithography. The card is decorated with classical imagery. Putti, or cherubic figures, were common motifs, particularly in the decorative arts, and the fountain recalls public monuments in European cities. Consider, though, that these images were produced by a printing business, not a fine art studio. Guyard was selling mass-produced images. The card’s visual language connects the printer’s business to established traditions of taste and high culture, and also to a tradition of civic values, of a prosperous city that maintains public works of art. Was this a time of optimism in Belgium? Was it a time of expanding business? We might explore newspapers, census records, and business directories to discover more about Guyard’s moment. The image reminds us that art always operates in relation to other social practices.