Standbeeld Ferdinand de Toledo, hertog van Alva 1647

This engraving shows a statue of Ferdinand de Toledo, the Duke of Alva. It was made anonymously. The image is of the Duke standing triumphantly on a pedestal, trampling defeated figures. The print was made during a time of intense religious and political conflict in the Netherlands, then under Spanish rule. Alva was a key figure in the Spanish suppression of the Dutch Revolt, a brutal campaign that earned him lasting notoriety. Prints like this were tools of propaganda. The Latin inscription praises Alva as a restorer of peace and a faithful servant of the king. Yet the graphic depiction of Alva standing over the subjugated people suggests a more complex, and darker, interpretation. By looking at pamphlets, chronicles, and other visual materials from the period, we can begin to unpack the ways in which images were used to shape public opinion and legitimize political power. The meaning of the statue is contingent on the historical, social and political context in which it was made.