Pompa Introitus Honori .. Ferdinandi Austriaci ... " (Entry of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand into Antwerp, April 17, 1635)

The monumental work, "Pompa Introitus Honori .. Ferdinandi Austriaci ... " (Entry of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand into Antwerp, April 17, 1635), conceived and designed by Peter Paul Rubens, documents a pivotal moment in 17th-century European spectacle and politics. While the actual triumphal entry took place in 1635, this extensive volume, executed as a highly detailed engraving and classified as a book, was published in 1642. This documentation captures the elaborate Pompa Introitus devised to celebrate and reinforce Hapsburg authority in the Southern Netherlands following the victory of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria.

As a collaborative print, the work meticulously illustrates the grand procession and the detailed, temporary architectural structures-triumphal arches and stages-erected throughout Antwerp for the event. Rubens was responsible for the overall iconographic program and design of these ephemeral structures. The scenes are densely populated with dynamic figures, including ranks of Soldiers, noble Men, and civilian Women, all arrayed to witness the procession. The composition emphasizes grandeur through elements like richly caparisoned Horses pulling carriages and symbolic mythical figures, such as Dragons, integrated into the architectural decorations.

This significant historical and artistic record resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, showcasing Rubens’s profound influence extending beyond painting into civic design and publishing. The publication of such detailed prints ensured the wide dissemination of the event’s propaganda and artistic vision throughout Europe. Today, high-quality prints and reproductions of this Baroque masterwork are often made available through public domain initiatives, facilitating ongoing research into 17th-century court culture and diplomatic communication.