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Other 16th-century conflicts

Contemporary maps of 10 sixteenth-century wars

LP

View of Gotha, 1567 (Gotha, Thuringia, Germany) 50°56ʹ53ʺN 10°42ʹ06ʺE

published 1567

Etching with engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges bottom and right | 19.3 x 26.5 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 721048

A middle oblique view of Gotha, probably relating to the Grumbach Feud. Gotha was held by General Wilhelm von Grumbach (1 June 1503-18 April 1567) for John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony (8 January 1529-19 May 1595), and was besieged from 25 January to 17 April 1567 by Augustus, Elector of Saxony (31 July 1526-11 February 1586), resulting in the capitulation of the town. The Grumbach Feud (1567). Oriented with south-east (cardinal points) to top.

This is a crude representation of Gotha with the surrounding trenches of the besiegers. The infantry camp, with marching soldiers is bl; the artillery and cavalry are br. No military action is otherwise taking place and this view may represent an early stage of the siege.

It is not known to whom the initials ‘L.P.’ refer. Bavarel’s Notice sur les graveurs qui nous ont laissé des estampes marquées de monogrammes, chiffres, rebus, lettres initiales, etc., (1808) gives the names Leonard Parasole and Lucas Penne as two who were known to use these initials. The painter, Lucas Penne, seems improbable in this instance because he died in 1556; Leonardo Norsini, called Parasole (his wife’s name), was not born until about 1570 and was known as a wood engraver.

  • LP (engraver) [bottom right, in a small panel, suspended from a tree stump:] L P

     

  • Watermark: Crown, six-pointed star above [very similar to Woodward nos 265-6]

    Condition: one fold line; brown discolouration; bottom left, worn and torn; abrasions, bottom left, have worn through the paper. Verso: surface dirt along fold line; brown staining, bottom right. Impressions from the mounts of items which were kept above and below this view in a former sequence are present on the recto and verso

  • 19.3 x 26.5 cm (image and sheet)

    cropped (platemark)

    30.6 x 40.1 cm (mount)

  • Printed title:

    DISEGNO DELLA FORTEZZA ET CITTA DI GOTTA IN SASSONIA [across top of view]

    George III heading:

    Gotha 1567.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [bottom right, black pencil:] 1567. (Verso) [top left, on mount, black pencil:] I/44; [top left, across mount and print, red pencil:] 1/43; [top right, on mount, black pencil, erased:] Gotha.

    George III catalogue entry:

    Gotha Disegno della Fortezza e Citta di Gotta in Sassonia, da L.P.

  • Subject(s)

    Gotha, Thuringia, Germany (50°56ʹ53ʺN 10°42ʹ06ʺE)

  • 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. 2696

Page revisions

  • 23 May 2024

    Added IIIF viewer back in