The Proclamation of the Peace of Münster at the Grote Markt in Antwerp

Pauwels employs a restrained chiaroscuro, using soft shadows to model the figures and suggest depth within the crowded square. The light falls gently on the platform and the faces of the onlookers, while darker tones recede into the background, creating a realistic atmospheric perspective. Fine details, such as the rooster‑shaped weather vane atop the clock tower, demonstrate the artist’s careful observation.

The painting was likely commissioned shortly after the treaty’s signing to commemorate the public celebration in Antwerp. It entered the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp’s holdings in the early twentieth century, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s Flemish Baroque collection, illustrating civic art of the mid‑seventeenth century.

The Peace of Münster, concluded in 1648, ended the protracted war between the Dutch Republic and Spain, reshaping the political map of the Low Countries. Antwerp, a major commercial hub, marked the occasion with a public proclamation in its main market square. Pauwels’ work reflects contemporary practices of documenting civic ceremonies, providing visual evidence of the city’s social hierarchy and public life during the period.