Diploma van Maatschappij de Vrienden der Doofstommen te Antwerpen met bovenaan een portret van Charles Michel de l'Epee 1872

This 1872 engraving by Emile Pierre Maria Spruyt depicts a diploma for the "Society of Friends of the Deaf-mutes of Antwerp." The artwork features an elaborate archway with the society's name inscribed on it and a portrait of Charles Michel de l'Epee, a pioneer in the education of the deaf, at the top. The archway is framed by two columns, and below it, a scene unfolds of two groups of children listening to their teachers. This intricate design, characteristic of an official diploma, highlights the importance of education for the deaf in 19th-century Antwerp.