Giants for the Prado

14/11/24 - Acquisition - Madrid, Museo del Prado - If the figures seem disproportionate to each other, this is not a mistake on the part of the painter. The painting depicts the Ommegang procession in Brussels, which featured giants built on wooden or wicker structures (ill. 1). Although this festival still takes place today, it is more of a historical re-enactment. In the 16th and 17th centuries, religious brotherhoods, guilds and professional and military guilds marched through the streets, and the festivities lasted several days, just before Whitsuntide. The most important procession was that of the Sablon, dedicated to Notre Dame des Victoires, patron saint of the Gand Serment des Arbalétriers, the oldest and most prestigious of the urban militias. The other guilds responsible for…