Kannen van steengoed, plaat IV 1827 - 1829

Charles Onghena made this print of stoneware jugs, sometime in the 19th century. It's a fascinating glimpse into the cultural significance attached to everyday objects. Onghena was Belgian, and his detailed drawings, with their echoes of classical motifs and intricate ornamentation, reflect the rising industrial classes in Belgium and elsewhere. What did they aspire to? What did they value? This was a society where objects of daily use were invested with artistic value, bridging the gap between the functional and the aesthetic, the domestic and the artistic. But remember, the meanings of these images don't exist in a vacuum. They're shaped by the institutions that collect, display, and interpret them. To fully understand Onghena's print, we can look at the context, the economic climate, and the artistic conventions of 19th-century Belgium. And it’s through exploring these connections that we begin to unlock the rich social history embedded within the image.