Adventus Seren[issimi] Principis Gratulato, Theodoor van Thulden, 1635-1641 (c.)

Plate 6: the stage of welcome, in the form of a monumental triptych depicting episodes from the journey of prince ferdinand from spain to the spanish netherlands: at left "the voyage of the prince from barcelona to genoa", at right "the meeting of the two ferdinands at nördlingen" and at centre "the advent of the prince"; the middle section is devoted to the theme of the joyous reception of the new governor into the spanish netherlands, particularly by the antwerp citizens; the monumental portico presents the illusion of a passageway temporarily closed by a tapestry and a stage supporting a group of frolicking children, flanked on either side by statues of allegorical figures in niches, at left public joy ('laetitia publica') holding a wreath and resting a rudder on a sphere, and at right the genius of the city of antwerp ('genius urbis antverpiensis') carrying a cornucopia and a patera; a heavy arch suppports a palm tree with the globe of the world in its branches, flanked by two winged fames in the company of a lion and an eagle; a statue of good hope stands on the balustrade platform at centre, with putti bearing coats of arms, banners and laurel wreaths flanking the arch; at lower left and right are telamones seated on griffons and holding cornucopias; coats of arms flank the portico at its base; after peter paul rubens; illustration for gaspar gevaerts' "pompa introitus" (antwerp, 1641) engraving and etching printed from two plates. Date: 1635-1641 (c.). Dimensions: Height: 540 mm (plate-mark); Height: 649 mm (sheet); Width: 543 mm; Width: 603 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Gaspar Gevaerts. Collection: British Museum. Adventus Seren(issimi) Principis Gratulato (BM 1884,0112.37)