Pomnik Charles'a Bulsa w Brukseli

In the conventional idiom of monumental art in city landscapes, an historical person is erected by a statue in a formal pose: immobile, static, stately. This statue of Charles Buls, sitting near a fountain, not far from Grand Place in Brussels, breaks the pattern of this traditional aesthetic. Here, a man with a large moustache, apparently, leans back against the fountain. His own dog is intertwined with his leg, and his book rests upon his chest. These are emblems of a person with an genial disposition (his dog is his best friend) and a cultured mind (books are his companions). The monument served its purpose for me one afternoon, during a stroll, since I was inspired by it to learn about Charles Buls, the late 19th century mayor of Brussels. I didn't get all the details down, so correct me if I'm wrong, but here is Charles Buls in brief. The late 19th century was a time of social-economic transition. The economy shifted from agriculture to factories, food was cheaper, but displaced laborers moved into cities. They lived in newly emerging tenements, slums, or in the suburbs, depending on the kind of urban planning instituted in big cities like London and Paris. Brussels followed suit. Conditions could be bleak, but then again, some of the leaders of the day (as in Paris) worked to design an urban landscape with proximity to parks for all people. Other cities (like London) had to wrestle with an aristocracy who clutched to their land without making space of newcomers. Charles Buls did his best to negotiate these new trends as a mayor for the people. While he accommodated the new influx of people into Brussels, he favoured social cohesion within diverse cultures. So he instituted both Dutch and French within Brussels as the primary languages, taught in schools. Though favouring urban renewal, he also refused to demolish medieval and ancient structures, to make room for urbanisation, and thus saved some key architectural and artistic structures at the Grand Place. Buls was a good man who prospered the city and community. Here then we have a nice lifelike statue indicating his fondness for his dog and for reading!