Twee mannen op een bank buiten de stad

Henri Leys made this print, "Two Men on a Bench Outside the City," probably sometime in the mid-19th century. It shows two men of means taking a break on a bench, perhaps outside Antwerp where Leys spent most of his career. Note the figures in the background, enjoying what looks like a public space, and the architectural styles of the buildings. Leys was part of a wave of artists in Belgium and elsewhere turning to the pre-modern era as a source of cultural and national identity, often looking back to the medieval and early Renaissance past. This interest in the past intersected with new developments in the institutions of art. For example, museums were becoming increasingly popular. But while many artists looked to classical antiquity for inspiration, Leys and others in northern Europe looked to their own more recent past, and that interest infuses this scene. As historians, we should be attuned to such cultural dynamics in our interpretations of art. Studying prints and other artworks in tandem with period sources, like literature and journalism, can provide a richer understanding of their role in society.