Houten gevel van een woning in de Saucierstraat in Antwerpen 1868

Jean Théodore Joseph Linnig created this etching of a wooden facade in the Saucierstraat in Antwerp sometime in the 19th century. It presents us with a slice of urban life, but also opens up questions about the social fabric of the time. The image gives a sense of the spatial arrangement of the city, showing the architecture and street activity. Linnig’s Antwerp was a bustling port city. The architecture tells a story of trade and commerce, with the wooden facade likely belonging to a merchant's house, a relic from Antwerp's golden age. The figures in the street, engaged in commerce and conversation, give us an insight into the city’s social dynamics. Historians rely on a range of resources, from city records to trade statistics, to enrich our understanding of the artwork. It serves as a reminder that art is not created in a vacuum.