Sculptuur van een adelaar op een voetstuk uit de Sint-Martinusbasiliek in Halle, opgesteld op een tentoonstelling over religieuze objecten uit de middeleeuwen en renaissance in 1864 in Mechelen before 1866

Joseph Maes captured this photograph of a sculpture of an eagle on a pedestal in 1864, during an exhibition of religious objects from the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Mechelen. The choice to display this sculpture – originally from the St. Martin Basilica in Halle – within the context of a 19th-century exhibition tells us a great deal about the changing role of religious art in society. Photography as a medium played a crucial role in the documentation and dissemination of such artifacts, influencing how they were perceived and understood outside of their original religious setting. Belgium, during this period, was undergoing significant social and political change, with growing interest in national history and cultural heritage. The act of curating and exhibiting religious objects speaks to a broader cultural movement aimed at preserving and interpreting the past. To fully understand the meaning of this photograph and the exhibition it documents, scholars might investigate period exhibition catalogs, art criticism, and historical studies of religious art.