Publiek bij een concert, op de rug gezien 1855 - 1913

This is Xavier Mellery's etching, 'Publiek bij een concert, op de rug gezien'. The image's visual impact comes from the way Mellery captures the backs of an audience at a concert. The scene is rendered with fine, closely-knit lines, and the composition is structured by the repetition of figures seated in rows. What is intriguing here is the choice to focus on the backs of the audience, rather than the performers. The individual characteristics of each audience member – their attire, posture, and the way they occupy their space – create a study in social dynamics. This approach may subtly challenge the traditional focus on the spectacle itself, shifting attention to the observers and their role in constructing the event's meaning. The formal qualities of the etching – the density of lines, the arrangement of figures – invite us to consider the relationship between the individual and the collective, and the ways in which social experiences are both personal and communal.