Gezicht op een kleine kamer in de stijl van Lodewijk XV in het hotel van Brahy-Prost in Luik, België before 1898

H. Waeles created this photograph of a small room in the Louis XV style, within the Hotel van Brahy-Prost in Liège, Belgium. The image invites us to consider how the elite classes used visual codes to communicate their wealth and status. The Louis XV style, with its emphasis on ornate detail and luxurious materials, was very much in vogue with the European aristocracy. The photograph might have been commissioned to document the interior design of the hotel, reflecting the owner’s desire to showcase their taste and sophistication. Through careful archival research, we can uncover the social networks and economic structures that supported the production and consumption of such images. By understanding the original context, we can begin to appreciate the complex relationship between art, power, and social identity.