Titelprent voor het pamflet Toneel der Arminianen, 1618 1618

This 1618 anonymous engraving, *Titelprent voor het pamflet Toneel der Arminianen, 1618*, is a powerful example of the use of visual allegory in Dutch art. The central scene depicts a chariot being pulled by a group of men, while a group of others kneel in the foreground. The men pulling the chariot represent the Spanish, who are leading the Netherlands into war. The kneeling figures, representing the Dutch people, are being forced to submit to the Spanish. The visual metaphor suggests the impending danger of the Spanish occupation. The artwork, now held at the Rijksmuseum, exemplifies the religious and political turmoil of the time.