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
Naumachia seu famosi illius Pręlii / Navalis, mense Septembri Anno 1639, / commissi brevis Relatio
1639 or laterLetterpress text on four pieces of paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges top, right and bottom | 34.9 x 13.3 cm (sheet of top left text) | RCIN 722142.c
It is unclear whether or not this text accompanies either RCINs 722142.a or 722142.b. It gives a brief resume of the history of the Spanish fleet in the English Channel, referring to the events of 1588. It describes the 29 Dutch ships, giving details of their commanders and crew. The piece of French text, which is also pasted to the mount, does not relate either to RCIN 722142.a or to RCIN 722142.b because the letters in the key, which go up to 'W', do not appear on either of the views. Another key, giving the same information, appears at the end of RCIN 722142.d and this relates to the Battle of the Dunes in October 1639.
Anonymous (printmaker)
Watermark: Text: cropped: 1) the letter S or a snake superimposed on a staff; 2) a house; mount: cropped, kneeling figure in shield.
Condition: one fold line to each of three columns of text; one fold line to mount, not coincident with the text fold lines; small diagonal piece cut off br corner of the mount. Pressure marks to recto and verso
34.9 x 13.3 cm (sheet of top left text)
25.0 x 13.3 cm (sheet of top right text)
24.6 x 13.5 cm (sheet of bottom left text)
15.8 x 13.5 cm (sheet of bottom right text)
53.5 x 38.4 cm (mount)
Printed title:
Naumachia seu famosi illius Pręlii / Navalis, mense Septembri Anno 1639, / commissi brevis Relatio.
Printed title:
Explications des lettres Alphabethiques marque dans la Carte.
Annotations:
George III heading: Naval Engagement in the Downs Sep.r 1639
Other annotations: (Recto) [black pencil, bottom left:] III/[??]; [top left, black pencil:] Fleet. (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement A View of the position of the Fleets prior to the Naval Engagement in the Downs between the Spanish and Dutch in Sept.r 1639: by Cornelius Bol: with Portraits of Admiral Tromp and Vice Admiral de Wit. 2 sheets. A small Plan of the Straits of Dover with the different positions of the Spanish and Dutch Fleets in Sept.r 1639: with two small views. published by Danckerts. 2 sheets. Descriptions of the Engagement in Latin and Dutch. [The large Print to which the small Views and Descriptions refer is wanting]
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. 3050-3053
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
