Other 17th-century conflicts
Printed and manuscript maps, prints and views of 22 seventeenth-century wars
View of Castel Mirabello, 1648 (Ágios Nikólaos [Castel Mirabello], Crete, Greece) 35°11ʹ28ʺN 25°42ʹ55ʺE
1648 or laterEtching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges right and bottom | 27.5 x 37.6 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 723079
A high oblique view of Castel Mirabello, besieged by the Venetians and Order of St John of Jersualem, commanded by the Venetian Captain-General Gianbattista Grimani, and taken from the Turks on 23 January 1648. Cretan War (Fifth Ottoman-Venetian War) (1645-1669). Oriented with north to top (compass rose indicates that west is to top).
The very tentative identification of 'Sig.r Vert' with Jean de Werth is made solely on the slender basis that de Werth's name in French was 'de Vert'. There is no evidence that de Werth went to Crete but it is entirely possible that he could have made a drawing of the action at Castel Mirabello based on other information, and that his drawing was subsequently copied for the purposes of this print.
The print shows the section of the eastern coastline of Crete with the two offshore islands of Agii Pantes and Mikronis. Venetian forces are disembarking from ships belonging to the Venetian fleet and some of the Knights of Malta. A dense line of Turkish soldiers represents both their advancement to relieve the fortress as well as their subsequent retreat from it. The arms of the Grimani family are engraved top left.
After (?) Jean de Werth (1595-1652) (draughtsman) [bottom centre:] Copia del disegno fatto dal Sigr de Vert / che si trouo nell’ acquisto.
Subject(s)
Army-Ottoman EmpireWatermark: Three petalled flower with the letters B o below and a flourish/decoration? Mount: none.
Condition: one fold line; some foxing
27.5 x 37.6 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
39.7 x 51.2 cm (mount)
Printed title:
1648 Adi 23 Genaro / Ricupera del Castello di MIRABELO fatta dal Genera:mo / Grimani. [bottom right, in rectangular panel]
Additional text:
[bottom right, below title, in title panel, a key, A-I, K-Q, to the batteries, position of Venetian and Turkish troops, etc.]
Annotations:
George III heading: Mirabelo 23 January 1648.
Other annotations: (Recto) [black pencil, bottom right:] 1648; [top left, black pencil: the old heading]. (Verso) [top left, black pencil:] III/103.
George III catalogue entry:
Mirabelo Ricupera del Castello di Mirabelo fatta dal Genera.mo Grimani adi 23 Genara 1648: copia del Disegno fatto dal Sig.r de Vert.
Subject(s)
Ágios Nikólaos [Castel Mirabello], Crete, Greece (35°11ʹ28ʺN 25°42ʹ55ʺE)
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. 3202
Page revisions
25 May 2024
Current version
