Brief aan Christiaan Kramm 1857 - 1885

This is an excerpt from the Royal Academy of Belgium from around 1840, which lists the artworks of Jozef Geefs, who was a sculptor and professor of anatomy. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of art and societal values in 19th-century Belgium. Geefs, celebrated in his time, produced works ranging from religious figures to commemorative monuments. The list includes the marble statue 'The Fisherman's Daughter' (1840), and 'Youth Asleep in the Arms of Hope', completed for a funeral monument. What does it mean to depict youth in repose, embraced by hope, in the context of mourning? Geefs’ sculptures invite reflections on themes of loss, memory, and the idealized representations of innocence and beauty. His work encapsulates a moment in time, reflecting the cultural, social, and personal dimensions of 19th-century artistic expression.