Triomfpoort bij de intocht van Karel Alexander van Lotharingen en Maria Anna te Brussel, 1744 1744

François Harrewijn created this etching in 1744, depicting the Triumphal Arch for Charles Alexander of Lorraine and Maria Anna's arrival in Brussels. The intricate details, achieved through careful use of line, give the image a structured, almost architectural quality, which is embellished with baroque style ornamentation. The arch is presented as a formal structure, divided into distinct zones and filled with iconographic elements. Note how Harrewijn uses symmetry to reinforce the arch’s stability and grandeur. Figures and scenes are framed within the arch, creating a series of visual layers that invite the viewer to decode the underlying narratives. This meticulous arrangement speaks to a desire to impose order and meaning onto the depicted event. The arch operates as a sign, a visual construct laden with symbolic value. Harrewijn’s attention to detail emphasizes how these carefully chosen visual elements serve to communicate power, authority, and the glorification of the ruling figures. This image serves not merely as a historical record but as a structured argument, reflecting the cultural and political values of the time.