Aankomst van de stoet bij de stadspoort van Antwerpen; intocht van Ferdinand te Antwerpen in 1635 (variant van nr. 3) 1639 - 1641

Theodoor van Thulden created this print depicting Ferdinand's entry into Antwerp in 1635. Flags wave prominently, symbols of power and allegiance, their cloth animated as if by an invisible, divine wind. Consider the flag, a motif stretching back millennia, from Roman standards to medieval banners. In each era, the flag served as a focal point, a rallying symbol imbued with the spirit of a people or a cause. Think, for example, of the labarum, the standard adopted by Constantine, transforming a pagan army into a Christian one, or, closer to Thulden's time, the Dutch flag raised in defiance against Spanish rule. The collective unconscious responds deeply to such symbols. Flags become powerful emotional triggers, evoking primal feelings of belonging, loyalty, and even aggression. Their shifting forms and colors across history reveal a non-linear progression, resurfacing in new contexts, carrying echoes of past glories and struggles.