Allegory of Catholic Austria Attacked Poster

Description: This oil sketch by Peter Paul Rubens, painted circa 1620–1622 and housed at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, is a vivid Baroque allegory of the religious and political turmoil of early 17th-century Europe. The composition centres on a female personification of Catholic Austria, beset by hostile Protestant forces. A heroic knight in armour—symbolising Catholic valour and possibly modelled after Don Ferdinand of Spain—charges to her defence on a rearing white horse. Above, angels descend from the heavens, signifying divine support for the Catholic cause. The tumultuous scene is filled with banners, fallen figures, and swirling movement, all rendered in Rubens’s energetic, expressive style. This work exemplifies Rubens’s mastery of allegorical narrative and his engagement with the themes of the Thirty Years’ War, making it a highlight of the Musée Fabre’s Flemish Baroque collection