Reproductie van een schilderij van een portret van Chrétien de Hondt door Hans Memling before 1877

This is a reproduction by Joseph Maes, made without indication of material or date, of a portrait of Chrétien de Hondt by Hans Memling. The original artwork is cropped and set against the backdrop of an open book; the reproduction invites us to consider how images function across different contexts. The black and white portrait itself is set in a shallow interior space, emphasizing a structural interplay between the figure and the architectural elements behind him. Chrétien de Hondt, dressed in what appears to be a religious habit, is depicted in a moment of contemplation or prayer. The texture, rendered through the reproduction process, adds a layer of complexity, emphasizing the materiality of the image itself. By framing Memling’s work within the pages of a book, Maes’s reproduction prompts a discourse on reproduction, authenticity, and the shifting nature of art’s meaning. The image is no longer just a depiction of an individual, but an artifact embedded in a network of signs and cultural practices.