FOMU EN

Early Gaze

Expo

24.10.2025

01.03.2026

Coming soon

Unseen Photography from the 19th Century

RS6331 P 1980 0249 0001 Khnopff Fernand
Fernand Khnopff, Portrait of Marguerite Khnopff, ca. 1900, Collection FOMU, P/1980/249/1
RS237726 2024 0011 lpr
Anonymous, Studio portrait of 2 ladies in a little boat , ca. 1905, Collection FOMU, 2024/11
RS3087 P 1963 0147 Sneyers Leon lpr
Léon Sneyers, L’Effort, 1901, Collection FOMU, P/1973/147
RS3041 P 1963 0020 0004 Huybrechts E lpr
Ernest Huybrechts, L’Explosion, 1889, Collection FOMU, P/1963/20/4
RS205593 2022 0105 R lpr
Victor Plumier, Seated young man, ca. 1850, Collection FOMU, 2022/105
RS10643 P 2002 0311 Van Heurck Henri lpr
Henri Van Heurck, X-ray from a mummified Egyptian ibis, 1897, Collection FOMU, P/2002/311
RS206781 2022 0130 R lpr
Ghémar Frères, self portrait Louis Ghémar at a piano, ca. 1862, Collection FOMU, 2022/130
RS5505 P 1977 0034 0016 Buschmann lpr
Joseph-Ernest Buschmann, Groenplaats, Antwerp, 1848-1850, Collection FOMU P/1977/34/16

EARLY GAZE casts a fresh light on the rise and development of photography in 19th-century Belgium. The invention of photography did not only bring technological novelty, but also changed the way we see ourselves and the world. What began as a marvel of innovation quickly expanded into an instrument for control and image-building. 

The EARLY GAZE exhibition documents the birth of Belgian photography, from the very first mug shots to groundbreaking imagery in the arts, medical science and justice. It shows how an elite pastime grew out to become a powerful tool for capturing, controlling and constructing identity.  

You will get a new perspective on the photographic pioneers who co-wrote the story of a young nation. You will discover forgotten portraits and unknown stories, and experience how the first photographic gaze still continues to influence our contemporary visual culture through phenomena such as  agency, and consent.  

EARLY GAZE illustrates that from the very start, photography was not a neutral registration of reality but a powerful instrument that helped shape the story of the ruling class.  

The exhibition is accompanied by the book EARLY GAZE, published by Hannibal Books. With numerous unique photos by François Braga, Joseph Pelizarro, Guillaume Claine, Joseph Ernest Buschmann, Edmond Fierlants and others. Hardcover, Dutch/English, 304 pages, available for €55 in the FOMU shop.

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