Untitled

On the left, the Dutch delegation raises the index and middle fingers, a gesture associated with their Protestant identity, while on the right the Spanish envoys, representing Catholic Spain, place their right hands upon a cross and a Bible as they swear. The composition underscores the religious and diplomatic contrast that defined the negotiations.

Rendered in a straightforward, documentary manner, the painting employs a muted palette and clear delineation of figures to convey a factual record rather than an idealised scene. The focus on the gestures and the modest wooden boxes on the table draws attention to the legal instruments being exchanged.

Gerard ter Borch was present at the ceremony in Münster, providing an eyewitness connection to the event, though the artist of the canvas remains unidentified. The painting has been held in private collections before entering a public museum, where it serves as a visual testimony to the 1648 peace.

The treaty concluded the Eighty‑Years' War, reshaping the political map of Europe and confirming Dutch independence. The scene captures the formalities of early‑modern diplomacy, where religious symbolism and legal documentation were central to the validation of peace.

As a visual document, the work offers scholars a rare glimpse of the ceremonial aspects of 17th‑century treaty‑making, complementing written accounts of the Treaty of Münster and informing understandings of Dutch‑Spanish relations.