The Fall of Alba's Citadel. Image and Memory in Turbulent Times 

The KMSKA holds a painting of the demolition of the Antwerp citadel in 1577. At first glance, it seems a lively cityscape full of activity. But look closer, and you’ll discover a layered story about power, manipulation, and how images shape our view of the past.

The Antwerp citadel was built in the sixteenth century by order of the Spanish Duke of Alva, as a stronghold of power against the city. After a bloody plundering by Spanish troops called the Spanish Fury, hatred for the fortress grew so strong that it was partially demolished. Often described as a collective act of liberation, documents from the time reveal a different story: the demolition was tightly controlled by the city authorities and city guard, with forced labour and fines for absentees. Spontaneous joy hardly played a role.

This double reading, between orchestrated order and glorified chaos, also runs through the painting made around 1620 in the circle of Sebastiaen Vrancx. Recently restored by the KMSKA, accompanying research quickly revealed a broader narrative. The image was based on an earlier composition, probably showing William of Orange and his wife as heroes of resistance. But in this later version, made when Antwerp was once again under Habsburg rule, they were replaced by a shadowy quack. Instead of healing, he brings deception. A subtle but unmistakable message: was the demolition of the citadel a mistake? Was Orange a charlatan selling false hope?

Near the quack, striking objects lie scattered: bladder stones, painful kidney stones that were once removed through risky surgery. These stones were often preserved, displayed, and even venerated as tangible proof of healing. Here, however, their meaning is ambiguous: do they symbolize purification, or the illusion of cure?

This exhibition explores how the citadel – built, demolished, and rebuilt – became a symbol of power and conflict, and how art was used as propaganda. From triumphal arches to satirical prints, from engravings to commemorative plaques: every image carries a perspective, a message, a truth.

What do we remember, and what do we prefer to forget? And who decides what we get to see? This exhibition shows how history is not only written, but also painted.