Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648)
Contemporary prints and maps of the battles and sieges of the Eighty Years War
Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch, 1629
PLAN / et Siege de la Ville de Bolduc / par Henry Frederic Prince d’Aurange / Conte de Nassau Lieutenant General / de Messieurs les Estats. A.o 1629
published 1629Etching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges left, bottom and right | Scale: 1:22,000 approx. | RCIN 722042.a
A high oblique view and map of the siege, April-14 September 1629, of Spanish-held ’s-Hertogenbosch by the army of the United Provinces, commanded by Frederick-Henry of Orange and Nassau (29 January 1584-14 March 1647), resulting in the capitulation of the town by its governor, Anthonie Schetz, Baron van Grobbendonck (c.1564-5 August 1640) on 14 September 1629. Eighty Years War (Dutch War of Independence) (1568-1648). Oriented with north-west to top (cardinal points).
Bois-le-Duc (’s-Hertogenbosch) was a strong, supposedly impregnable, fortress situated at the confluence of the rivers Dommel and Aa (Aade on this print). The army of the United Provinces was supplemented by the English regiments of Vere, Cecil, Morgan and Harewood, other English troops of cuirassiers and harquebusiers and a body of Scots.
This print shows the wide extent of the marshes surrounding the town. They were fed by the two rivers; in order to try to drain them, a 40 km-long ditch was dug and this can be seen, following the outside of the line of circumvallation on the south and south-west side of the town. The letterpress text at RCIN 722042.e explains that this print and its accompanying text (RCIN 722042.b) shows Bois-le-duc (Bolduc) with the whole of the besieging camp with an account of all that happened in May 1629.
The geographical coverage extends from Bockhouen (Bokhoven 51°44ʹ15ʺN 05°13ʹ50ʺE) in the north-west (top right), through Creuecoeur (Crèvecoeur 51°44ʹ12ʺN 05°16ʹ00ʺN) to Empel (Oud-Empel 51°44ʹ12ʺN 05°18ʹ10ʺE) in the north-east and along the marshes and country to the west of the town to Berlicum (51°40ʹ39ʺN 05°24ʹ00ʺE) in the south-east (bottom left).
Melchior Tavernier (1594-1665) (publisher) [bottom right, following on from title:] A Paris chez Melchior Tavernier Graueur / et Imprimeur du Roy pour les Tailles / douces.
Watermark: Bunch of grapes; countermark: cartouche with the letters A G
Condition: two fold lines to the print; creased; one fold line to the mount which coincides with one of the print fold lines; the mount has been reused: the framing lines for a smaller item are visible. Verso: offsetting from the framing lines of another mount; the bottom edge of the inner window edge of the mount is roughly cut; some pressure marks
Scale: 1:22,000 approx. Scale bar: Echelle de 2000 Pas [73 mm =].
37.0 x 48.6 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
40.8 x 54.8 cm (mount)
Printed title:
PLAN / et Siege de la Ville de Bolduc / par Henry Frederic Prince d’Aurange / Conte de Nassau Lieutenant General / de Messieurs les Estats. A.o 1629. [bottom right, in ornate oval cartouche]
Annotations:
George III heading: Bois le Duc 1629.
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [bottom right, ink, possibly contemporary with dal Pozzo:] Ā.
George III catalogue entry:
Bois le Duc Plan et Siege de la Ville de Bolduc par Henry Frederic Prince d’Aurange, commencé le 1.er de May 1629: avec une Description, chez Tavernier, 1629. [together with the entry for RCINs 722042.c-e.]
Subject(s)
's-Hertogenbosch [Bois-Le-Duc], North Brabant, Netherlands (51°41'57"N 05°18'15"E)
Bibliographic reference(s)
Cannon Richard, Historical records of the British army, London 1853, p. 97
M. ‘t Haart, The Dutch Wars of Independence: warfare and commerce in the Netherlands, 1570-1680, London 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. 2891
Bossche encyclopaedia (last accessed 10 March 2016)
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
