Verschillende voorstellingen 1866 - 1902

This print, by Franciscus Antonius Beersmans, presents a grid of everyday scenes, each a tableau of 19th-century life, rendered with the simplified forms characteristic of popular imagery. Notice the motif of the doorway appearing in multiple scenes, marking entrances and exits that punctuate the narrative flow, inviting us to enter into a world of domesticity and social encounters. The doorway is an ancient symbol, appearing since antiquity, in ancient Egyptian art, and in classical Greek and Roman art. It represents transitions, thresholds, and the passage from one state to another. This symbol echoes through time, appearing in various cultures and contexts, from religious iconography to modern art, each time subtly shifting its meaning. In the context of this print, the doorway takes on a psychological dimension, evoking the threshold between public and private spheres, and hinting at the hidden dramas unfolding behind closed doors. This image of ordinary life reminds us of the cyclical nature of human experience.