Jagersportret van Constant Van den Berghe 1864 - 1911

This is a portrait of Constant Van den Berghe made by Frans Lauwers, likely near the end of the 19th century, judging by the artist’s dates. The image is a hunting portrait and is indicative of the cultural associations of hunting with wealth, nobility, and land ownership in Europe at the time. Hunting had long been a pursuit of the elite and this image reinforces that social hierarchy. Van den Berghe is dressed in appropriate attire, holding a rifle, accompanied by his hunting dog and his hunting assistant is in the background. Consider how the image presents Van den Berghe as a figure of authority and control, not only over nature but also over the labor of others. The visual codes of class and power are clearly on display. To fully understand this image, further research into the social history of hunting and class structures in Belgium would be required. The study of images like this can reveal much about the values and power structures of the time.