Pro Patria-monument op het Martelarenplein in Brussel 1866 - 1870

Editor: This photograph captures Jules Hippolyte Quéval's Pro Patria monument in the Martyr's Square in Brussels, dating back to between 1866 and 1870. It seems very formal, rigid, almost…oppressive. How do you interpret this work and its message, particularly considering the context of its creation? Curator: It’s a fascinating question. I feel the stillness here is powerful, wouldn't you agree? To me, the monument transcends the photograph. There is a stillness, yes, but within it lies potential for stories. We are looking at an allegorical representation, heavily steeped in neoclassicism with its rational forms, of "Patria", the fatherland, atop the monument; do you see how it reflects that cool idealism so central to nation-building projects in that era? I also can not help thinking if this project can escape a post colonial reading. Editor: I hadn’t considered the idea of “potential”. It seems quite resolved, doesn’t it? The sharp lines, the stone. Does the "Patria" written in Latin give this sculpture a very formal intention? Curator: Perhaps. What strikes me is how this echoes larger conversations about national identity that were going on. We are now interpreting photography; there is this implicit level of realism from what's captured in the scene that we somehow accept without questioning it. However, do you think it can affect what that "national identity" can bring through? It is almost hyper realistic in how cold, calculated and rational the building evokes, which gives Patria a strange perspective. Editor: That is really thought provoking. It makes you wonder how those photographic choices, in themselves, reflect national intention. The cold stone... thank you for highlighting these connections, Curator. I am certain the piece brings a wider depth now! Curator: The joy's all mine. Looking at it with you has revealed some fascinating new layers for me, too!