Intocht van de prins van Oranje te Brussel, 1577 1613 - 1615

This print, titled "Entry of the Prince of Orange into Brussels," was made in 1577 by an anonymous artist. It is an engraving, meaning the design was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, using a tool called a burin. The fine lines were then filled with ink, and the plate pressed onto paper. The process demands a high level of skill and control, with the direction, density, and depth of the lines creating areas of light and shadow. The print depicts a triumphal procession, in which the Prince is ferried down the canal towards the city. While seemingly celebrating the Prince’s arrival, the linear precision of the engraving process suggests the militarized and rigid societal structures of 16th-century Europe. The print, though small in scale, speaks to the social and political climate that required such careful articulation of power. The print's ability to translate a grand event into a reproducible format shows the growing importance of printmaking as a medium for disseminating information and shaping public perception.