Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648)
Contemporary prints and maps of the battles and sieges of the Eighty Years War
Wesel, 1629
PLAN / au Vray de la / Ville de WESEL. / Prinse par les Holandois / le 19 Aoust 1629
c.1629Etching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A) | Scale: not stated | RCIN 722048.a
A high oblique view and map of the surprise attack on, and taking of Wesel on 19 August 1629 by Dutch troops under the Dutch governor of Emmerich, Otto van Ghent (1578-1640). Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648). Oriented with west-south-west to top (cardinal points).
A Spanish army under Count Ernesto Montecuccoli (1582-17 June 1633) had invaded Gelderland in a failed attempt to divert Frederick Henry from his siege of ’s-Hertogenbosch (see RCINs 722042-44). Instead, the taking of Wesel deprived the Spanish-Austrian troops of essential supplies and Montecuccoli was forced to retreat.
The accompanying text (RCIN 722048.b) gives an account of the history of Wesel since 1614 and of the action which took place on 19 August 1629 and includes a list of prisoners: ‘ROOLLE DES PRISONNIERS PRINS DANS LA / VILLE DE VVESEL, AVEC LEVRS NOMS ET QVALITEZ.’. It is noted that although the town was well fortified, it was badly guarded and that, in particular, the Dutch had been informed that an unrepaired breach in the walls allowed easy access to the town. Leaving during the night of the 18th August, the Dutch took the town the following day.
The breach in the walls is shown in this print on the north side, east of the hornwork named ‘Porte de Vlesken’, to gain entry. Also shown is the boat bridge, constructed across the Rhine by the Spanish, which was destroyed.
This map apparently comes from Robert Fouet (active 1604-1633), Histoire generale de la Guerre en Flandres, Paris, 1633.
Melchior Tavernier (1594-1665) (publisher)
Watermark: None visible
Condition: one fold line to print and mount which do not coincide; no gilt edges; brown spotting and discolouration; pressure marks from the mounts of items which were kept above and below this map in a different collection are present on the recto and verso. Verso: offsetting from the ink framing lines of another item
Scale: not stated (scale)
22.7 x 34.3 cm (image and neatline)
cropped (platemark)
23.7 x 35.1 cm (sheet)
37.1 x 43.7 cm (mount)
Printed title:
PLAN / au Vray de la / Ville de WESEL. / Prinse par les Holandois / le 19 Aoust 1629. [top right, in ornamental rectangular panel]
Annotations:
George III heading: Wesel 1629.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, the name ‘Wesel’ in the title is underlined in bp and the date is corrected in red ink to read 1629 instead of 1619.] (Verso) [bottom right, ?in a contemporary hand, ink:] AA.
George III catalogue entry:
Wesel Plan de la Ville de Wesel prise par les Hollandois le 19 Aoust 1629; avec une Relation, chez Tavernier, 1629.
Subject(s)
Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (51°40'00"N 06°37'00"E)
Bibliographic reference(s)
M. ’t Hart, The Dutch Wars of Independence warfare and commerce in the Netherlands, 1570-1680, Abingdon, 2014, p.26.
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2911
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
IIIF viewer added
