Kasteel te Ixelles-les-Bruxelles van het geslacht van Maldeghem 1823 - 1867

Editor: This pencil drawing is titled "Kasteel te Ixelles-les-Bruxelles van het geslacht van Maldeghem," created by Eugène Van Maldeghem sometime between 1823 and 1867. There's something almost dreamlike about the delicate lines of the castle emerging from the trees. What do you see in this piece, considering the period it was made? Curator: It's interesting you describe it as dreamlike. This piece encapsulates a particular vision of landscape that was really important in the 19th century. Landscape became a way for elites, particularly landed gentry like the Maldeghem family, to express their power and their connection to place. The drawing idealizes the castle and grounds. Editor: How so? I mean, it looks pretty realistic. Curator: It's a careful presentation. Look at the vantage point – we're distanced, viewing the castle through a screen of trees, aren’t we? The family is presenting themselves as part of this cultivated and picturesque scene. It shows the family wants to be perceived in relation to history, control, and romantic sensibilities, a visual statement that this space is, and always will be, theirs. Why do you think a pencil drawing was used versus a painting? Editor: Perhaps because a pencil sketch feels more personal, less formal, like a family memento. Curator: Exactly. The relative intimacy suggests a specific intended audience, an act of cementing cultural capital within the family, a powerful function that art still holds today. Editor: I never considered how a simple drawing could represent so much about a family's social position! It is much more than meets the eye. Curator: Indeed. These images served very specific cultural and historical purposes. A fascinating glimpse into the socio-political context, wouldn't you agree?