Het droevig afscheid van Don de Calabassa uit Vlaanderen en terugkeer naar Spanje, 1646 1646

This is a 1646 engraving by an anonymous artist, titled ‘The sad farewell of Don de Calabassa from Flanders and return to Spain’. The image reflects the complex political dynamics of 17th-century Europe, specifically the relationship between Flanders, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, and Spain itself. Through caricature, the print comments on the social structures of its time. ‘Don de Calabassa’, or Don Gourd, suggests a critique of Spanish nobility and power. The figures accompanying him are identified as a sailor, a Frenchman, and a Heyman, possibly a reference to Ahasuerus, or the ‘wandering Jew’. The text beneath the image satirizes the departure of the Don and emphasizes the relief felt by the Flemish people. To fully understand this piece, a historian would delve into period documents, political pamphlets, and other visual representations to uncover the nuances of the relationship between Flanders and Spain. The meaning of this art is thus contingent on its specific social and institutional context.