Margaretha van Parma overhandigt de stadssleutels aan de Antwerpse magistraat in het stadhuis after 1863

Jean Baptiste Pierre Michiels made this print depicting Margaretha van Parma handing over the city keys to the Antwerp magistrate in the town hall. It offers a glimpse into the political dynamics of 16th-century Antwerp under Habsburg rule, albeit through the lens of 19th-century Belgian nationalism. The scene is heavy with symbolic gestures. Margaretha’s act can be seen as a moment of submission to local governance. But how are we to view this act of the city receiving keys of its own city? Consider the institutional backdrop: Belgium, newly independent in the 19th century, was actively constructing a national identity, often by looking back to pivotal moments in its history. This image presents a narrative of local autonomy, a theme resonant with the burgeoning sense of Belgian independence and pride. To fully appreciate this print, one must delve into the archives of Antwerp and the political writings of the time. The social conditions that shape artistic production are always worth exploring. We must examine it not just as a historical record, but as a product of its own time, shaped by the aspirations and ideologies of 19th-century Belgium.