Striving for Unity: The Significance and Original Context of Political Allegories by Theodoor van Thulden for ’s-Hertogenbosch Town Hall

Abstract

This case study explores the original significance and contexts of a series of political allegories painted by Theodoor van Thulden (1606-1669) for the ’s-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc) Town Hall. In considering their commission history, current attributions, their relevant historical and political contexts and their initial placement in the town hall, we aim to reconstruct the paintings' function as a decoration program between their installation in the late 1640s and their relocation following a substantial renovation of the building in the early 1670s. The article concludes with a reflection on the changing nature of the town hall's interior and its impact on the interpretation and appreciation of van Thulden's paintings in the present.