A detailed Baroque etching by Theodor van Thulden, after Peter Paul Rubens, depicting the meeting of two Habsburg leaders following the Battle of Nördlingen.

This etching by Theodor van Thulden depicts the historical encounter between Ferdinand, King of Hungary, and the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain following the Battle of Nördlingen in 1634. The work was produced as part of the visual programme for the 'Pompa Introitus Ferdinandi', the ceremonial entry of the Cardinal-Infante into Antwerp. The composition follows a design by Peter Paul Rubens, whose influence is evident in the dynamic arrangement of figures and the integration of classical allegory.

The scene is divided into two distinct registers. In the upper portion, the two leaders meet in a gesture of alliance, surrounded by their military retinue and horses. Above them, an eagle soars, symbolising imperial power. The lower portion introduces a mythological dimension, featuring a river god pouring water from an urn, accompanied by two female figures. This juxtaposition of contemporary political events with classical motifs is characteristic of the Baroque period, where historical narratives were frequently elevated through the use of ancient symbolism.

Van Thulden, a skilled printmaker and painter, captures the textures of the armour, the flowing drapery of the figures, and the musculature of the river god with precise line work. The Latin inscription at the base provides context for the event, framing the military victory as a union of two powerful branches of the Habsburg dynasty. The print reflects the collaborative nature of seventeenth-century artistic production, where the conceptual vision of a master like Rubens was translated into print by specialists like van Thulden. This piece offers a window into the political propaganda and artistic culture of the Dutch Golden Age, documenting a moment of dynastic consolidation through the lens of classical tradition.