D. João IV was acclaimed the twenty-first King of Portugal following an uprising led by a group of Portuguese nobles and aristocrats. This movement triggered the revolution of December 1, 1640, and within 15 days, ousted Philip III of Portugal.
This episode inspired numerous narratives and accounts across Europe, as demonstrated by this German-version engraving, which is part of the MAH’s Graphic Documents Management Unit. The engraving was originally published in Amsterdam in 1641 as an illustration for a 24-page pamphlet. The publication also includes a map of Portugal marking fortified towns and a genealogical tree tracing the lineage from D. Afonso Henriques to D. João IV—completely omitting the Philippine Dynasty.
In the top left panel, the engraving depicts the assassination of Miguel de Vasconcelos. The following panel, on the top right, shows a group of horsemen and foot soldiers proclaiming the victory of the conspirators and the rise of the new Portuguese king.
In the lower left panel, the future monarch is shown taking an oath while bearing the Cross of Christ—traditional insignia of the Portuguese kings. In the final panel on the lower right, he is shown kneeling as he is crowned by the Archbishop of Lisbon, D. Rodrigo da Cunha, during a public ceremony witnessed by the population.
