Plate 12: Triumphal arch, elevation of the back facade, surmounted with the arms of Ferdinand and decorated with five mythical or heroic scenes; from Guillielmus Becanus's 'Serenissimi Principis Ferdinandi, Hispaniarum Infantis...'

Art Historical Context

This intricate engraving, titled *Plate 12: Triumphal arch, elevation of the back facade, surmounted with the arms of Ferdinand and decorated with five mythical or heroic scenes*, captures the grandeur of a temporary architectural spectacle from 1636. Created by engraver Johannes Meursius, it depicts the rear elevation of a triumphal arch adorned with Ferdinand's coat of arms at the top, flanked by vivid scenes featuring soldiers, the Trojan hero Aeneas, the Argonauts, and Achilles. These classical motifs evoke epic tales of valor and destiny, symbolically elevating the Spanish Infante to the pantheon of ancient legends. Part of Guillielmus Becanus's lavish publication *Serenissimi Principis Ferdinandi, Hispaniarum Infantis...*, the print documents the opulent festivities surrounding a royal entry or celebration for Ferdinand, likely the Habsburg heir during Spain's Golden Age. Such ephemeral arches were Baroque marvels, blending architecture, heraldry, and mythology to proclaim imperial legitimacy and divine favor amid Europe's Thirty Years' War. Meursius's engraving technique excels in rendering fine architectural details and bustling figures on a trimmed sheet of 14 7/8 × 9 1/2 inches, preserving these short-lived wonders for posterity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it exemplifies 17th-century printmaking's role in disseminating courtly splendor to a wider audience.