Portret van de hertog van Alva Possibly 1546 - 1573

This is Frans Huys's portrait of the Duke of Alva, made sometime in the mid-16th century as a print. The Duke, a symbol of Spanish authority, is rendered here with all the markers of power: armor, sword, and noble bearing. But what does it mean to monumentalize a figure who was both an agent and an emblem of colonial oppression? As governor of the Netherlands, Alva was known for his brutal suppression of the Dutch revolt, a struggle for independence and religious freedom. Looking at this portrait today, it’s impossible to ignore the violence and suffering inflicted under his rule. Here he stands, seemingly untouchable in his armor, yet his legacy is stained by the blood of those who resisted him. The identity and the history of the oppressor are forever entwined with those of the oppressed. The portrait serves as a potent reminder of how power is constructed and commemorated, and the importance of questioning whose stories are told, and whose are erased.