Anton van den Wyngaerde’s threefold project of the Panorama of Walcheren (c. 1547-1570)

A groundbreaking study reveals that Anton van den Wyngaerde's Panorama of Walcheren, housed in the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, is not a single work but rather the result of at least three distinct projects spanning from 1547 to 1570. This extensive panorama, unique for its length and geographic coverage, was initially created through field sketches made between 1547 and 1552. Upon arriving in Spain in 1562, Van den Wyngaerde compiled these sketches into a draft, which formed the first third of the current Panorama. A more finished, colored drawing from this draft served as the basis for a second project, likely influencing the El Pardo painting created around 1564. The final project, undertaken between 1567 and 1570, copied at least part of the painting, with remnants from these projects combined to form the extant Panorama.

Gregg, R. E. (2022). Anton van den Wyngaerde’s threefold project of the Panorama of Walcheren (c. 1547-1570). Oud Holland – Journal for Art of the Low Countries, 135(4), 172–187. https://doi.org/10.1163/18750176-13504002