Antwerp Blessed with Abundance c. 1648

Theodoor van Thulden created this drawing, "Antwerp Blessed with Abundance," in the 17th century using pen and brown ink with grey wash on paper. It allegorically represents the city of Antwerp, visualising ideas about its prosperity and divine favour. The image employs the visual language of classical mythology, common in European art of this period, to convey a political message. Made in the Spanish Netherlands, the drawing uses conventions of religious and courtly art to celebrate a specific place. Antwerp, personified as a goddess, receives gifts from other allegorical figures representing abundance and prosperity, reflecting the city's commercial strength. The figure at the bottom might symbolize the river Scheldt, essential to Antwerp's trade. To understand this drawing fully, we delve into the economic and political history of Antwerp, exploring its role as a major port and its relationship with the Spanish crown. Art historians use archival documents, such as trade records and civic chronicles, to reconstruct the context of images like this and to reveal the complex interplay between art, power, and society.