Battle of Nieuwpoort, 1600

TABVLA PRÆLII PROPE NEOPORTVM COMMISSI II IVLII MDC. / inter Exercitus Alberti Archiducis Austriæ, etc. et DD. Ordinum Fœderatæ Belgicæ ductu Principis Maurity Comitis Nassoviæ, etc.

A medium oblique views of the approach towards each other [top] of the Dutch army at Nieuwpoort and [bottom] the orders of battle of the Dutch army, commanded by Maurice of Nassau (14 November 1567-23 April 1625), and the Spanish army, commanded by Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (13 November 1559-13 July 1621), Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, before the Battle of Nieuport, 2 July 1600 which resulted in a Dutch victory. The Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648).

Maurice of Nassau, having moved his army across the Scheldt on 22 June 1600, and through the northern part of Flanders, had arrived at Nieuwpoort intending to lay siege to the town. He sent the greater part of his army across the River Yser, which at low tide was easily fordable at its mouth, in order to occupy the south side of the town. When news came of the arrival of the Arduke Albert’s troops, shown to the right of the upper view, the Dutch forces were ordered to return across the river and they are seen to the left of the upper view, fording the river which, as can be seen here, was very shallow at that point. The heavy guns were positioned at the top of the beach, near the sand dunes, where the sand was firmer. The fire from the Dutch fleet – shown in the upper view - eventually forced the Spanish troops into the dunes where the main battle later took place.

The lower view shows the two armies drawn up in order of battle. In the vanguard of the Spanish forces are the mutineers who had resented Spanish rule but now, in a volt face which had not entered Maurice’s calculations, resumed their allegiance to the Habsburg Netherlands, swelling the numbers of the Archduke’s army. These mutineers, shown in the lower view, were led by Francisco de Mendoza, Admiral of Aragon, shown here, leading his troops.

The top view has a blank, unengraved square area, left of centre, which may have been intended for the insertion of text.

The Rijksmuseum example (RP-P-OB-80.540) is attributed to Berckenrode: Catalogus-referentienr: FMH 1141 Catalogus: Frederik Muller, De Nederlandsche geschiedenis in platen: beredeneerde beschrijving van Nederlandsche historieplaten, zinneprenten en historische kaarten, 4 delen, F. Muller, Amsterdam 1863-1882, dl. I (jaren 100 tot 1702), p. 137, nr. 1141.

From: Novum Ac Magnum Theatrum Urbium Belgicae Liberae Ac Foederatae. Amstersdam, J. Blaeu (1649). The example from the atlas has Latin text on the verso. Koeman Bl62.