Ommegang op de Meirplaats te Antwerpen, 1684-1685 1684 - 1685

Gonzales van Heylen created this drawing titled "Ommegang op de Meirplaats te Antwerpen" around 1684-1685, capturing a parade in Antwerp. During this time, Antwerp was under Spanish rule, and these parades or "Ommegangen" were elaborate displays of civic and religious pride. Heylen's work opens a window into the socio-political dynamics of the period, reflecting both the grandeur and the tensions within the city. These parades served as a powerful tool for the ruling elite to display power but also offered the diverse inhabitants of Antwerp a sense of collective identity. The "Ommegang" would have been a complex choreography of social classes, guilds, and religious orders, each vying for visibility and recognition. The artwork's detailed depiction of the parade invites us to consider the experiences of those who participated, as well as those who were excluded. What did it mean to take part, and what did it mean to stand on the sidelines? The drawing thus acts as a historical document but also as a stage upon which the dramas of identity, power, and belonging are played out.