Gezicht op een zaal in Vlaamse stijl in het huis van F. Malfait in Brussel, België before 1898

G. Choppinet made this photograph of a room in the Brussels home of the sculptor F. Malfait. What we see here is a self-conscious display of wealth through careful control of historical style. Looking at this image, we see that its owner is deliberately evoking the past in the arrangement of objects and space. The fireplace, the chandelier, the sculpture, and even the desk are all meant to create a particular impression. It's like walking onto a stage set for a play about the good old days. But who exactly is trying to be convinced here? Is it the owner, or is it his visitors? And who gets to decide what makes the "Flemish style" good? Perhaps the photograph itself is designed to be a symbol of status and taste for circulation in a particular social circle. To understand this image better, we'd need to dig into the social and cultural history of Brussels at the time, as well as the networks of artists, collectors, and patrons who were shaping ideas about national identity and artistic heritage.