Personificatie van Antwerpen tussen een bedelaar en een medicus in de kledij van een Spaanse edelman 1842

Edouard Hamman created this etching, titled "Personification of Antwerp between a Beggar and a Doctor in the Clothing of a Spanish Nobleman," during a period of significant social and political change in Europe. This work is a reflection of Antwerp's complex identity, caught between poverty and prosperity, local tradition, and foreign influence. The figure of Antwerp, a crowned woman, is flanked by contrasting figures. To her left, a nobleman in Spanish attire, symbolizes the historical rule and cultural impact of Spain on the region. To her right, a beggar embodies the stark realities of poverty and hardship faced by many during this era. We see this juxtaposition of wealth and poverty, health and sickness. Hamman uses the female body to embody the city, and further utilizes the bodies that surround her to tell a complex history of social and political struggle. This piece serves as a poignant reminder of how cities and their inhabitants grapple with the complexities of progress, identity, and social responsibility.