Don Juan José of Austria (1629–1679), illegitimate son of Philip IV of Spain, is shown making a triumphal entry into Brussels on 12 May 1656 as the newly appointed Governor of the Spanish Netherlands. The picture is one of four modelli (sketches shown to a patron for approval) for a tapestry series (two untraced, one Paris, Louvre), which commemorated Don Juan’s journey from Barcelona to Brussels in 1656. Don Juan, seated on a rearing white stallion, is here depicted receiving the keys of Brussels from the city fathers. The ornamental tapestry borders, with cannons, weapons, military trophies and swags of fruit, refer to the military prowess of the new governor and the peace and prosperity promised by his rule.