Giovanni Battista Pallavicino verkrijgt het Antwerpse burgerrecht after 1863

Jean Baptiste Pierre Michiels created this print, depicting Giovanni Battista Pallavicino acquiring citizenship in Antwerp. It is rendered with fine lines, which capture a formal ceremony. It is evocative of the hierarchical structures of 19th-century European society where citizenship was a privilege granted selectively. Pallavicino stands centrally, amidst men in official garb, suggesting the importance of civic inclusion and the negotiation of identity within a community. The image invites reflection on who is granted belonging and how these processes reflect cultural values. How does the depiction of such a ceremony shape our understanding of historical power dynamics and the emotional weight of formal acceptance into a community?