Journeys Across Zeelandia: Anton Van Den Wyngaerde’s Panorama of Walcheren and Philip II

Abstract

ABSTRACT Anton van den Wyngaerde’s (c. 1490–1571) Panorama of Walcheren (after c. 1548) depicts the entire Island and the North Sea across ten metres of rolled paper. As the scene unfurls, viewers travel across Walcheren’s dikes, roads, and waterways. Staffage accompanies the viewer on this mental journey, animating the topographical vision. Comparison with Jacob van Deventer’s (c. 1500/5–1575) maps of Walcheren’s largest cities (c. 1550) demonstrates van den Wyngaerde’s pictorial style. His style’s potential for cinematic absorption was suited to the panorama’s intended audience and location. A version of this panorama hung in the Palacio de El Pardo of Philip II (1527–1598), King of Spain, by September 1564. That painted panorama, now lost, brought before the king’s eyes an illustrated account of the Island’s economic and defensive significance. Strolling the length of the gallery, Philip could envision past time spent on Walcheren and find himself immersed in the Island’s cultural experiences while being reminded of its position. The viewing experience offered the king of Spain a microcosmic synecdoche of his imperial power.