Alva verlaat de Nederlanden, 1573 c. 1574 - 1578

Frans Hogenberg made this print in 1573 showing the departure of the Duke of Alba from the Netherlands. This etching provides a visual record, but it is far from objective. The print was made during the early years of the Dutch Revolt, when the Netherlands was in open rebellion against Spanish rule, and Alba was the hated symbol of Spanish repression. He had been sent to the Netherlands to crush the rebellion. Hogenberg was German, but he lived in Cologne, a city with many Dutch exiles, and he produced many prints sympathetic to the Dutch cause. This print is from a series of historical prints designed to show the tyranny of foreign rulers in the Netherlands. We can see Alba leaving in a carriage, but the procession is in good order, so is the print showing us a propaganda or a historical document? Historical prints such as this offer insights into the politics of imagery and the public role of art in early modern Europe, but only with careful attention to the conditions in which they were made and the resources that might enable a fuller understanding of the social and political context.