Allegorical Print of the Duke of Alva and the Prince of Orange by Anonymous

Allegorical Print of the Duke of Alva and the Prince of Orange 1568 - 1573

print, etching, engraving

allegory

print

etching

landscape

figuration

line

history-painting

northern-renaissance

engraving

This anonymous 16th-century print from the Rijksmuseum depicts an allegorical scene of the Duke of Alva and the Prince of Orange. The print is a powerful visual commentary on the Eighty Years' War, a conflict between the Spanish Habsburgs and the Dutch. The figures in the scene, including allegorical representations of Fortune and Justice, are arranged around a central scene of the execution of the Dutch Revolt leader, William the Silent, Prince of Orange. The print offers a glimpse into the political tensions and religious conflicts that characterized this pivotal period in Dutch history.

Comments

rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

⋮

The Duke of Alva and the Prince of Orange face each other. Alva is accompanied by Discord and Envy. He leads a nude woman in shackles, the Netherlands. Personified as a poor beggar, the people lie at his feet. William of Orange has other friends on his side: Honour, Wealth, and Clean Conscience. The message is clear: only he can restore peace and prosperity.