Contemporary maps and prints of the major battles and sieges from 1635 to 1658
Map of the siege of Aire, 1641 (Aire-sur-la-Lys, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France) 50°38'19"N 02°23'55"E
1641 or laterEtching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges right and bottom | Scale: 1:15,000 approx. | RCIN 723005.a
A map of Aire, besieged by the French commanded by Charles de la Porte, duc de la Mailleraye (1602-8 February 1664) on 19 May and taken on 26 July 1641. Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659). Oriented with south-west to top (cardinal points).
The accompanying letterpress text (RCIN 723005.b) gives a daily account of the siege from 17 May to 10 August during the aftermath of the siege in the days leading up to the Spanish counter-attack (see RCIN 723006).
Nicolaes Visscher I (1618-79) (publisher) [bottom centre:] CJVisscher excudebat
Subject(s)
Army-FranceWatermark: Map: none visible. Mount: none.
Condition: heavy brown discolouration; the mount is made from a re-used Mount Type A; some pressure marks
Scale: 1:15,000 approx. Scale bar: 200 Roeden van 2000 in een Mÿle. 200 Verges de 2000 en un Lieu. [49 mm =].
40.1 x 52.2 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
40.8 x 53.8 cm (remnants of mount on top, right and bottom edges)
Printed title:
Perfecte afbeeldinge van de Stercke Stat / AYRE ofte ARIEN / Aldus Belegert en verovert door Louys de dertiende, Coning / van Vrancryck ende Navarra in den Iare 1641. // PLAN D’AYRE / avec sez Forts Lignes de Circonvalations & / Attaques de la Ville Assiegée par Loys le 13. / Roy de France et Navarre / l’Ann 1641. [top left, in cartouche, in Dutch and French]
Additional text:
DECLARATION [top left, in French, a key, A-I, K-S]; VERCLARINGE [top right, the same key in Dutch]
Inset:
[bottom left, in cartouche overlooked by two fishermen (a play on the publisher's name Visscher), a small-scale map of part of Flanders and northern France (oriented with south-west to top; cardinal points:] GALLIÆ PARS. Scale: 1:130,500 approx. Scale bar: 3 Duytse Mÿlen [23 mm] =. Size: 10.7 x 13.5 cm (image).
Annotations:
George III heading: Aire 19 May – 26 July 1641.
Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, black pencil:] Aire; [bottom right, black pencil:] 1641. (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Aire Plan d’Ayre avec ses Forts, Lignes de Circonvalation et attaques de la Ville, assiegée par Louis XIII le 19 May et prise le 26 Juillet 1641: chez Visscher avec une Description.
Subject(s)
Aire-sur-la-Lys (Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France) 50°38'19"N 02°23'55"E
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. 3089
Page revisions
25 May 2024
Current version
