Waterput op een stadsplein 1838

Eugène François de Block made this pencil drawing titled 'Water well in a city square' in 1838. It depicts figures gathered at a water well in what appears to be a public square in Belgium. De Block lived during a period of significant social and political change in Belgium. After gaining independence in 1830, the country saw an explosion of civic pride, and the public square was its stage. It was here, that the urban population came together to work, shop, socialize, and celebrate. De Block does not offer any explicit social critique. But one might use it to examine the rapidly transforming urban landscape, and the place of its citizens within it. To better understand this drawing, we can research how Belgian public squares and monuments were used during the 1830s. We might also consider how rapid urbanization impacted daily life, and how artists reflected, reinforced, or challenged such social norms.