Fotoreproductie van De dingen van het heden tegenover de mensen van de toekomst door Antoine Wiertz before 1868

This is Edmond Fierlants’ photo reproduction of Antoine Wiertz’s "The Things of the Present are Set Against the People of the Future." Fierlants, a Belgian photographer, made this image sometime in the mid-19th century, a time when photography was transforming how art was circulated and understood. This image presents a theatrical allegory. A fleshy arm, seemingly belonging to the present, dangles ominously over a turbulent scene populated with ghostly figures, representing the future. It brings to mind questions of legacy, and what the present leaves for those who come next. Fierlants' photograph captures not just Wiertz's painting, but also the anxieties of a rapidly changing world. Photography was beginning to challenge traditional hierarchies of art, democratizing access but also raising questions about authenticity and artistic skill. In this context, Fierlants’ work becomes a fascinating commentary on the evolving relationship between art, technology, and time.