Portret van Eduard Antoine Schmitt 1858 - 1899

This small portrait of Eduard Antoine Schmitt was made by Georg Otto, but the exact date and medium remain unknown. The inscription below the image states "He honors his Father by actions, by words and by boundless patience." The portrait, with its formal attire and controlled pose, speaks to the sitter's social standing and adherence to societal norms prevalent in 19th-century Europe. The act of commissioning and displaying such a portrait was itself a social performance, reinforcing family identity and aspirations. We might consider this image in relation to the printmaking industry in Brussels at this time. What workshops existed? What were the relations between artists, artisans and the market? How was art patronized? What were the important institutions, and what was the role of art criticism? By studying archival documents such as artist’s correspondence, exhibition catalogs, and period reviews, we can better understand the social life of this image and its subject. This helps us to recover the complex cultural and institutional networks that shaped artistic production and consumption.