Triumphal Arch of Philip IV of Spain, front

The triumphal arch erected for Cardinal-Infant Ferdinand's entry into Antwerp in 1635 was the central architectural element of a city-wide celebration programme designed by Rubens with contributions from the leading artists of the city. Theodoor van Thulden executed key painted elements and subsequently documented the arches in a series of paintings and engravings published as Pompa Introitus Ferdinandi in 1641/42. This panel depicting the front of the arch is one of those documentary works. The unusual date assigned to this work — 1717 — likely represents a cataloguing error or later inscription date rather than the actual creation date, as Van Thulden died in 1669 and the entry took place in 1635. The painting belongs to the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie as part of its holdings of major Antwerp Baroque material.

The frontal view of the triumphal arch requires a compositional solution that presents the architectural programme — multiple bays, painted niches, sculptural elements, inscriptions — clearly and coherently. Van Thulden uses frontal recession with slight perspective correction to give the flat architectural surface its proper three-dimensionality. The painted allegorical scenes within the arch's panels are depicted with enough detail to identify their subjects.