Man op klompen met paraplu 1875

Felicien Rops created this etching, “Man op klompen met paraplu,” sometime in the late 19th century. It depicts a man in wooden shoes, a long coat, and a top hat, with an umbrella, as seen from behind. What's striking about this image is its depiction of a figure who seems to occupy an ambiguous social space. The wooden shoes suggest a rural or working-class background, while the coat and hat hint at bourgeois aspirations, or perhaps a civil servant. Rops, working in Belgium, was deeply engaged with the social and political tensions of his time, a period marked by rapid industrialization and stark class divisions. We can see this tension reflected in the figure's posture, which conveys both a sense of determination and a hint of vulnerability. To fully understand this image, we might turn to sources that document the social and economic conditions of Belgium. What was the lived experience of those caught between tradition and modernity? It’s in this type of understanding where the true meaning of art lies.