Other 17th-century conflicts
Printed and manuscript maps, prints and views of 22 seventeenth-century wars
Øresund 1658
PRÆLIUM NAVALE INTER BELGAS ET SUECOS. A.o 1658
1658 or laterEtching and engraving; printed on paper; formerly mounted on paper (Mount Type B) | 40.3 x 51.4 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 723116
A view of the naval Battle of the Sound, fought on 8 November 1658 between the Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam (1610-65) and the Swedish fleet, commanded by Admiral Carl Gustav Wrangel (1613-76), resulting in a Dutch victory. Second Northern War (Dano-Swedish War) (1658-60). Oriented with south to top.
Claes Jansz. Visscher died in 1652, six years before this event took place; the print was probably published by his son, Nicolaas Visscher.
This print is based on an earlier print by Pieter Hendricksz. Schut (1618/19-after 1660), published by C.J. Visscher, entitled 'PRÆLIUM NAVALE INTER SUECOS ET DANOS. A.o 1644.' and may be a reworking of the plate. The ships in the foreground of both prints, save for those in the bottom right corner, are the same; the ovals, top left and top right, are filled with coats of arms instead of portraits on the 1644 version and the text below the print is different. The geographical background is significantly different. The 1644 print (see Rijksmuseum RO-P-OB-77.7111, [last accessed 3 November 2017]) is oriented towards the south-west and has, as its backdrop, the island of Femeren (Fehmarn 54°28ʹ22ʺN 11°08ʹ56ʺE) and Kiel (54°19ʹ17ʺN 10°08ʹ06ʺE). In contrast, the background of the 1658 print comprises Valsterbon (Skanör-Falsterbo 55°25ʹ11ʺN 12°50ʹ59ʺE), Coppenhaven (Copenhagen 55°40ʹ33ʺN 12°33ʹ56ʺE) and Elbogen alias Malmuyen (Malmö 55°36ʹ21ʺN 13°00ʹ03ʺE) while in the foreground is Elsinghburgh (Helsingborg 56°02ʹ48ʺN 12°41ʹ40ʺE) and Cronenburgh (Kronborg 56°02ʹ19ʺN 12°37ʹ17ʺE).
Another similar print, published by Frederick de Witt, while identical in content, is from a different engraving by an anonymous author (Rijksmuseum RP-P-OB-81.853). De Witt's print is distinguished by a different style of lettering and by having three portraits at the top, instead of two.
Title appears, top corner, in banderole flanked, on the left, by a portrait of Iacob Baron van Wassenaer and, on the right, by a portrait of Carolus Gustavus Wrangel
Claes Jansz Visscher II (c.1587-1652) (printmaker) [bottom right, below text:] CJVisscher Excudit.
Nicolaes Visscher I (1618-79) (publisher)
After Schut, Pieter Hendricksz (1618/19-1660) (designer)
Watermark: None visible
Condition: one fold line; creased; heavy brown discolouration. Verso: remains of Mount Type B; old paper repair to tear
35.9 x 51.2 cm (neatline)
40.3 x 51.4 cm (image and sheet)
Printed title:
PRÆLIUM NAVALE INTER BELGAS ET SUECOS. A.o 1658. [top corner, in banderole flanked, on the left, by a portrait of Iacob Baron van Wassenaer and, on the right, by a portrait of Carolus Gustavus Wrangel]
Insets:
[top left, in an oval olive wreath flanked on each side by a winged cherub, a portrait of Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam; lettering around outside:] IACOB BARON VAN WASSENAER, HEERE TOT OBDAM, ETC. [top right, a similarly framed portrait of Admiral Wrangel:] CAROLUS GUSTAVUS WRANGEL RYCX ADMIRAEL IN SWEDEN ETC.
Additional text:
[bottom, below view, second title:] ZEE-GEVECHT TUSSCHEN DE CHRYGHS-VLOOTEN VAN HAERE HO: MO: DE HEEREN STATEN GEN.RL DER VEREENICHDE NEDERLANDEN ONDER 'T BELEYT VANDEN L.NT AD.RL IACOB BARON VAN WASSENAER, / Heere tot Obdam etc.; ende van den Coningh van Sweden onder ' t Beleyt van den Rycx Admirael Carel Gustaf Wrangel voorgevallen inden Oresont den 29 october oude ofte den 8 november nieuwe Stijl A.o 1658. / SEE=STREYT ZWISSCHEN DEN KRIEGS-FLOTTEN DER VEREYNIGTEN NIEDERLANDEN, UNTERM COMMANDO DES WOLLGEBOHRNEN HERN VON OPDAM LEUTNANT ADMIRAL; UND VON SCHWEDISCHER SEITEN UNTERM COMMANDO DES REICHS ADMIRALS CAREL GU: WRANGEL VORGEFALLEN IN DEM ORE-SUNT DEN 29/8 Octobris/Novembris} 1658.
[below second title, two keys, 1-24 and a-i, k-t, v-z:] Naemen van eenige Commandeurs ende Schepen der Ho: Mo: Heeren Staten Generael. [and] Naemen van eenige Schepen van sijne Conincklijcke Majesteyt van Sweden.
Annotations:
George III heading: Naval Engagement in the Sound 8 November NS. 1658.
Other annotations: none.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement See streyt zwisschen den Kriegs-Flotten der Vereynigten Niederlanden unterm commando des Admiral Opdam und von Schwedischer seiten unterm commando des Admiral Wrangel vorgefallen in dem Ore-Sunt den 29 Octobris (8 Novembris) 1658. von C.I. Visscher.
Subject(s)
Øresund [Sont, Sund, Eyrarsund, The Sound], Denmark (and other countries) (55°50ʹ00ʺN 12°40ʹ00ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
Mark McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no.3235
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
