Drie metalen kandelabers, opgesteld op een tentoonstelling over religieuze objecten uit de middeleeuwen en renaissance in 1864 in Mechelen before 1866

Joseph Maes captured this image of three metal candelabras at a religious objects exhibition in Mechelen in 1864. The 1860s was a period of immense social and political change, deeply influenced by the rise of industrialization and the burgeoning of nationalism across Europe. Maes’s composition, in its stark and simple presentation, invites us to consider how objects of faith intersect with evolving cultural identities. These candelabras, once central to religious practice, now stand as relics within the secular space of an exhibition. The contrast between their original sacred function and their current status as displayed artifacts prompts questions about how society values and reframes its past. The choice to photograph these items, removing them from their lived context, emphasizes a growing fascination with history. It encourages viewers to reflect on the shifting roles of religion, art, and historical memory in shaping collective identity.