The Hanged Man at the Bell Illustration for The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak by Charles de Coster 1867

Felicien Rops made this etching, "The Hanged Man at the Bell," as an illustration for Charles de Coster's novel celebrating Flemish identity. Set in 16th-century Flanders, under Spanish rule, the legend reclaims a folk hero, Thyl Ulenspiegel, as a symbol of resistance against oppression. The image is heavy with symbols of death and injustice, but also, perhaps, a hint of rebellion. The stark depiction of the hanged man, juxtaposed with the looming bell, evokes the somber atmosphere of a society under siege. Rops, working in Belgium, used the visual language of his time to comment on the social structures of the past. He was a self-consciously progressive artist who critiqued social and political norms. To truly understand this piece, we need to look into the history of Flemish nationalism and the cultural context of late 19th-century Belgium. We need to research the historical and political background of the novel it illustrates. Only then can we appreciate the artist's commentary on the politics of imagery.