Fotoreproductie van een ontwerp van het opgebaarde lichaam van koning Léopold I van België in het Koninklijk Paleis in Brussel

This is a photographic reproduction by Ghémar Frères depicting the lying-in-state of King Léopold I of Belgium in the Royal Palace in Brussels. Royalty, with its inherent notions of class and power, puts the body on display for political purposes. While the image ostensibly captures a moment of mourning, it also subtly reinforces the hierarchical structures of 19th-century Belgian society. Consider how Léopold I's reign was contemporaneous with Belgium's colonial expansion into the Congo. The image invites us to consider how power is both performed and observed, and the ways in which national identity is constructed through these rituals of state. The photograph serves as a historical document but also prompts deeper questions about representation, power, and the gaze.