De stoet trekt langs het beeld van de reus Antigoon op de Grote Markt, 1582 1613 - 1615

This print, dating from 1582, pictures a parade passing the statue of the giant Antigoon in Antwerp’s main square. The anonymous artist used engraving, a printmaking process involving painstaking work. A design is incised into a metal plate, and the resulting grooves hold ink that is then transferred to paper. Look closely, and you’ll see how the network of fine lines creates shading and texture. This print is more than just a technical display. It's a window into the values of its time. Antwerp was a major trading hub, and the parade suggests wealth and power. Yet, the image also hints at tensions. Antigoon was a mythical figure who demanded tolls from passing ships. Is the statue celebrating local pride, or a more aggressive stance toward outsiders? The image presents a moment frozen in time, yet steeped in the complexities of labor, local pride, and emerging capitalism. It reminds us that art is not just about aesthetics, but also about the social and political forces that shape our world.