Allegorie op de verovering van de citadel te Antwerpen, 1577 1577

Editor: We’re looking at “Allegorie op de verovering van de citadel te Antwerpen, 1577,” or “Allegory on the Conquest of the Citadel in Antwerp,” made in 1577. It's an engraving by Jacques de Gheyn the Elder. The first thing that strikes me is the sheer amount of detail crammed into a relatively small space. It feels…busy, almost overwhelming. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, "busy" is one word for it, I might suggest "effervescently triumphant"! For me, it’s a perfect distillation of Baroque exuberance, teeming with figures, symbolism, and civic pride. You see Antwerp there, freed from the Spanish citadel, literally throwing off the yoke of oppression. Those celestial figures, dropping what look like hearts, aren't simply decorative; they're divinely sanctioned artillery, striking at tyranny with love! Does that soften the "overwhelm" a little? Editor: It does give me something new to think about – love as artillery is certainly a novel concept! Is that fairly typical of allegorical prints from this period? Curator: Absolutely. Think of these prints as visual news reports, aimed at a relatively literate, worldly audience. Gheyn is using the allegorical language of his time: classical figures, biblical allusions, and contemporary political commentary all rolled into one! So, yes, perhaps the image appears “busy”, but it’s reflecting a time in which belief systems and worldly views collide on every corner. Editor: So the busyness really speaks to the time, in a way! I always thought engravings like these were just decorative. Now I see they're complex historical documents. Curator: Precisely! Now that is an artful revelation!