Auction of Seized Goods, 1835

Industrialisation in the first half of the nineteenth century had dire consequences for small farmers and cottage industries. Moreover, failed crops resulted in famine and poverty. Many were unable to pay rising rents and were evicted from their homes. The scene that Joseph Geirnaert has painted here was therefore not uncommon. Auction of Seized Goods however is not a criticism of social conditions. As in most genre scenes from this period, sentiment and anecdote dominate the work.