Antique Pistol 

James Ensor made this lithograph of an antique pistol on paper sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. But how does a still life of a weapon fit into the social and cultural history of Belgium at this time? To understand its context, consider that Ensor worked at a time when the country was undergoing rapid industrialization and social change. Belgium was also experiencing a period of political tension, with growing demands for social reform and universal suffrage. The pistol might symbolize these tensions and the potential for violence and upheaval. As a historian, to interpret this, I'd delve into the archives, exploring the political cartoons and pamphlets of the time. I'd examine the role of weapons in Belgian society, considering who owned them, how they were used, and what they symbolized. Ultimately, the meaning of this print is not fixed but contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was made and viewed.