Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648)
Contemporary prints and maps of the battles and sieges of the Eighty Years War
Naval engagement in the Roadstead of the Downs, 1639
Vray pourtrait & relation de l’espouventable & cruelle, combien que Victorieuse / Bataille de mer, faite entre la puissante Armada du Roy d’Espāgne, sur la conduicte del’Admiral /...
published 1639Etching and engraving; printed from two copperplates on two sheets of paper, joined; mounted on paper (mount cropped, Type B) | 35.4 x 75.2 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 722141.a
A middle-high oblique view of a naval action, 18-21 September 1639, between the Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Martin Harpertszoon Tromp (23 April 1598-10 August 1653) and Admiral Witte Corneliszoon de With (28 March 1599-8 November 1658), and the Spanish, commanded by Antonio de Oquendo (October 1577-7 June 1640), resulting in a Dutch victory. Eighty Years War (1568-1648). Oriented with north-west to top (cardinal points).
This action was a preliminary to the Battle of the Downs which took place on 21 October. The view shows the engagement set against the background of the English coast between Rye and Margate.
The Spanish fleet intended to anchor in the roadstead of the Downs under cover of English neutrality, in order to ferry supplies for the Spanish army in the Netherlands across the channel to Dunkirk. On the 15 September, the large Spanish fleet was seen coming up the English Channel by a smaller Dutch naval force and a short skirmish took place. This was followed, three days later, by the Action of 18 September, shown in this view, in which the 29 ships of the Dutch fleet were pitted against the 67 ships of the Spanish. The action lasted over a couple of days until the Dutch ran out of gunpowder and the Spanish retreated to the roadstead of the Downs.
The reference letters on the view are explained in the accompanying letterpress text at RCIN 722141.b.
Cornelis Danckerts I (c. 1603-1656) (publisher)
Watermark: Bunch of grapes
Condition: two fold lines; some foxing. Remains of Mount Type B along top, right and bottom edges. Some pressure marks to verso
35.4 x 75.2 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
cropped (mount)
Printed title:
Vray pourtrait & relation de l’espouventable & cruelle, combien que Victorieuse / Bataille de mer, faite entre la puissante Armada du Roy d’Espāgne, sur la conduicte del’Admiral / d’Oquendo, & l’Armade des tres puissans Seigneurs les estats des Provinces unies du pais-bas. [no title; title on accompanying letterpress text (RCIN 722141.b)]
Inset:
[bottom left, a small-scale view of the dispositions of the Dutch and Spanish fleets.] Size: 10.6 x 15.9 cm (neatline).
Annotations:
George III heading: Naval Engagement in the Downs between the Spanish and Dutch in Sept.r 1639.
Other annotations: none.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement A View of the Naval Engagement in the Downs between the Spanish Fleet commanded by Admiral de Oquendo and the Dutch Fleet commanded by Admiral M.H. Tromp in Sept.r 1639: by C. Dankersz and S.I. Bruch; with a Description, 1639. [The same entry appears inder the heading Downs.]
Subject(s)
The Downs, England (51°14ʹ00ʺN 01°26ʹ00ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 3046
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
