Battle of Turnhout, 1597

POVRTRAICT DE L’HEVREVSE VICTOIRE OB- / TENVE LE 24. DE IANVIER L’AN 1597. EN LA BRVY- / IERE DE TIELENS ES ENVIRONS DE TVRNHAVT, PAR LA GEN - / darmerie de Messeigneurs les Estats des Provinces unies du...

Two views of the Battle of Turnhout, fought on 24 January 1597, between the Dutch and English, commanded by Maurice of Nassau (14 November 1567-23 April 1625) Stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and Sir Francis Vere (c.1560-18 August 1609) and the Spanish army, commanded by the Master of the Ordnance, General Count Jean de Rie of Varas (d.24 January 1597), resulting in a Dutch-English victory. Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648).

These two views show the the two critical phases of the Battle of Turnhout. Maurice of Nassau, realising that the garrison which had been left at Turnhout by Albert VII, Archduke of Austria (13 November 1559-13 July 1621; Governor General of the Spanish Netherlands 1596-1598; sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands 1598-1621) was in an isolated position, was determined to attack it. Maurice’s army of some 800 horse and 6000 foot was based in Gertruidenberg, some 25 miles from Turnhout. On 22/23 the army covered 22 miles in one day over the bleak leafless, saturated winter landscape shown so vividly in these two views. The Dutch and English arrived on the outskirts of Turnhout on the night of the 23rd and can be seen to the left of the upper view with the town of Ravels (51°22ʹ22ʺN 04°59ʹ32ʺE), from where they had just come, at the left edge (north) of the view. A solitary narrow bridge over a stream illustrates how such a narrow feature creates a bottleneck for the wagons and artillery queuing to make the crossing. Maurice and the vanguard of the Dutch-English army are seen having just caught up with the rear of the retreating garrison forces.

Varas learned just in time of Maurice’s approach and left Turnhout during the night of the 23rd and made for Herenthals which is indicated top right (south-west) of both views, together with a depiction of the road: ‘Den Wech naer Herenthals’. The flight of the Spanish garrison is shown to the right in the upper view, with the names of the various contingents written above their positions with, at the head of the German troops, their captain, Grobbendonk. The hopeless conditions of the waterlogged roads is illustrated by the quagmire through which the troops are riding and wading.

The second, lower, view illustrates the final stage of the encounter on the Tieleheide (Tielsche Heyde). In the foreground Maurice, ‘Son Excell??’ is flanked on the right by three of the horse units of the English who comprised one third of the forces: the horse of Horace Vere (Veer), Sidney, and Parker (Percker). Maurice ordered Counts Hohenlohe and Solms (shown to take four horse units and ride fast around the garrison force along the west side of the heath, aiming to get to the head of the marching columns before they left the open heath and passed into the safety of the defile at the south-western end. Vere was to attack the rear of the Spanish. Little resistance was made and the operation was successful: the Habsburg garrison commander, Varas, was shot and killed and his fallen body (‘C. VARAX, Doot’ [i.e. dood]) is graphically portrayed in a clearing of troops, right centre.

The poem to Maurice by Grotius contains a chronodisticha in the final two lines which give the date 1597. An example of this print without the letterpress text, and lacking Visscher’s name, is in the Atlas van Stolk (no.984) and the catalogue by Frederik Muller (no.1056). The States General gave Hein (de Gheyn) 120 pounds weight of 40 Groots.