Fotoreproductie van een tekening naar een muurschildering in de Schepenzaal in het Stadhuis van Kortrijk, voorstellende Filips van de Elzas before 1876

This is a photographic reproduction of a drawing of a mural depicting Philippe d'Alsace, though we don’t know when the original mural was made or by whom. The print appears in a book entitled “Civilisation Par Les Institutions.” As Count of Flanders in the late 12th century, Philippe was a key figure in the region's political and economic development. His reign saw the growth of urban centers and the expansion of trade. Here, he's depicted as a noble ruler, holding a sword. But this image raises questions about the politics of historical representation. What does it mean to celebrate this figure through art? Was this mural commissioned to bolster a particular narrative about Flemish identity? And how do institutions like town halls shape our understanding of the past? To fully understand the mural's meaning, we would need to know more about the context in which it was produced and displayed, using resources like archival records, local histories, and studies of civic identity.