A painting and the exchange of Belgian prisoners of war during the French Intervention in Mexico (1862–1867)
Journal: International Review of the Red Cross
Year: 2025

Abstract Images can help us to better understand how the laws of war and international humanitarian law have developed. As images transmit several messages simultaneously, they can reveal contextual, ideological, political and emotional dimensions that legal texts may not fully capture. This article aims to be an exercise seeking to demonstrate how a painting can serve not only as a historical source but also as a trigger for curiosity, prompting deeper exploration into the past and into the his