Peter Paul Rubens' woodcut for the title page of Pompa Introïtus Ferdinand exemplifies how Renaissance ceremonial culture deliberately deployed mythological imagery to create sophisticated political narratives. As visual documentation of Ferdinand's ceremonial entry into Antwerp, this title page frame adorned with mythological figures demonstrates how classical references served both aesthetic and political functions in early modern European courtly contexts.

The "joyous entry" tradition itself functioned as ritualised performance that established mutual obligations between rulers and cities through carefully choreographed symbolic actions. By documenting these ephemeral ceremonies in permanent form, publications like Pompa Introïtus Ferdinand transformed temporary spectacle into lasting record, allowing the symbolic frameworks established during the ceremony to circulate more widely and persist over time.

The integration of mythological figures into the frame creates visual rhetoric that positions contemporary political authority within established patterns of legitimate rule. Classical references provided Renaissance courts with sophisticated symbolic language for articulating political relationships and aspirations, creating continuity between ancient precedents and current power structures. This visual strategy exemplifies how early modern political culture relied heavily on mythological frameworks to legitimate authority and articulate political ideals.

The preservation of this woodcut reflects ongoing cultural interest in understanding how visual culture participated in establishing and maintaining political authority during this formative period of European state development. Rather than representing mere decoration, the mythological imagery constitutes an integral component of how political relationships were conceptualised and communicated during this period. The woodcut thus provides valuable evidence of how mythological frameworks shaped political imagination in early modern Europe, creating symbolic language through which power relationships could be articulated, negotiated, and maintained.