Portret van François Dolez, burgemeester van Mons Possibly 1876

Auguste Danse made this print of François Dolez, the mayor of Mons, in 1876. In nineteenth-century Belgium, lithographs like this one served as a crucial form of mass media. The art market in Europe, fueled by industrialization and urbanization, transformed how images circulated and gained cultural significance. Prints like this one of Dolez served multiple purposes; they were used for political representation, commercial advertisement, and personal mementos. Consider how the artist uses techniques such as hatching and cross-hatching to create tonal variations and textures, thereby conveying the status and respectability of the subject. Historians use sources such as newspapers, political pamphlets, and archival records to understand the historical context surrounding artworks like this. The meaning of this print is contingent on the social, economic, and political context in which it was produced and consumed.