The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster, 1648

This painting, made from life by Gerard ter Borch, depicts the ratification of the Treaty of Münster, one of the agreements forming the Peace of Westphalia that ended the Thirty Years' War. Envoys of the signatory powers are gathered to swear the oath, in a composition of exceptional detail identifying each figure present. Signed on 24 October 1648, the treaty granted France several Austrian possessions and established a new European balance built on the lasting weakening of the Habsburgs.