Belgie. - 4,000,000 inwoners 1850

Curator: Today, we’re looking at an engraving entitled “Belgie. - 4,000,000 inwoners,” which translates to "Belgium - 4,000,000 inhabitants." Created around 1850 by Jan Schuitemaker, this graphic art print presents a view of Belgium. Editor: It’s interesting! A grid of different landscapes within one frame, with varying gray values. There's an almost clinical detachment in the precision of line work. Curator: Indeed. It's fascinating how this piece encapsulates the 19th-century desire to classify and understand the world through visual representation. We see this exemplified with the map, alongside significant cities such as Antwerp, and Brussels. These visual cues serve as symbolic shorthand. Editor: Focusing on those blocks: in that image of the Antwerp cityscape, we have almost a caricature of maritime commerce, while the architectural space pictured is much more geometrical. But how does that speak to this idea of cultural memory? Curator: Well, I'm struck by the deliberate placement of these cityscapes and maps. The artist is curating a view of national identity, framing Belgium, its key cities, its resources as a place of prosperity, stability and historical significance within Europe, which collectively constructs a potent visual narrative. The artist has assembled archetypes here: the busy port, the cultural center of Spa, to offer the viewer touchstones. Editor: Looking again at the visual choices: notice how that central structure in Brussels is visually framed to tower over its setting through the artist's composition. We return again to themes of power through the building's sharp steeple and position within the panel. Curator: That's right. The high vantage point allows viewers to gaze from the point of view of those in charge, while it invites one to meditate on the city’s development and relationship to larger social memory. Editor: Examining it further through a purely structural approach offers a unique perspective here. Thank you! Curator: And thank you! It has been very revealing indeed!