Portret van Henri Sainctelette 1896

Georges Montenez made this print, Portret van Henri Sainctelette, in Belgium, probably sometime around 1895. Sainctelette wears an official-looking uniform and a decoration, so he was likely a politician or important figure in the military or civil service. How are we to understand this image today? Well, portraiture has always played an important role in Western society. Since ancient times, portraits have been a way of preserving a person's memory after death, or displaying their importance, status, and wealth. They're a tool for the ruling classes. But by the late nineteenth century, the rise of the middle class and the advent of photography democratized the genre to some degree. To understand this image fully, we'd need to delve into Belgian history and look at the political and institutional context that made someone like Sainctelette important. This would reveal how the print functions ideologically. After all, an image like this can be powerful. It communicates certain social values and helps to create a sense of national identity.