Ottoman-Habsburg Wars (1521-1791)
Images from eight wars fought between 1570 and 1718
Nagikanyzsa, 1600
1600 or laterEngraving and etching; printed on paper; mounted on paper: mount cropped (possibly Mount Type B) | 42.2 x 55.9 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 721107.a
A view of the attack by the Austrian Habsburg army, commanded by Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercoeur (9 September 1558-19 February 1602), on the Turkish-held fortress of Kanizsa on 7 October 1600. Habsburg-Ottoman Wars: The Long War (1591/3-1606).
The early phase of the war took place in Croatia and Ibrahim Pasha (Tiryaki Hasan Pasha (1530?-1611), a commander of the Ottoman army, who became Governor of Kanizsa and high governor of Bosnia after defeating the Austrians in 1601) took a large army from Sziget and marched on Kanizsa which was the most important Hungarian fortress in Trans-Danubia, and laid sige to it and captured it. This view shows the initial attempt by the Imperial Habsburg army to reclaim the town.
The attempts by the Imperial army to establish control over Nagykanizsa ended in failure and, seven days after their arrival they were in full retreat, being pursued relentlessy for four kilometres by the Turks. The Duke of Mercœur was a prominent member of the Catholic League. He went to Hungary after 1598 and entered the service of Rudolph II, fighting against the Turks.
The reference to the French engraver of Flemish origin, Thomas de Leu (1560-1612), in the old catalogue entry presumably refers to the engraver of the portrait which is mentioned in the old entry, again, presumably of Philip Emanuel, Duke of Mercoeur, which appears to be missing.
This view and accompanying text (see RCIN 721107.b) are the first of a set of four (RCINs 721107-721110).
Anonymous (printmaker)
Watermark: Trefoil on long stalk between two feathers, on base with two scrolls below
Condition: one fold line. Verso: offsetting from same image; remains of mount, perhaps Type B; no gilt edges
42.2 x 55.9 cm (image and sheet)
42.5 x 56.1 cm (mount)
Printed title:
No title
Annotations:
George III heading: The Imperial Army, commanded by the Duke of Mercœur, coming to the relief of Canissa on the 7th. Of October 1600.
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [right centre, brown ink, a monogram:] W[B].
George III catalogue entry:
Canissa Representation of the Imperial Army, commanded by the Duke of Mercœur, coming to the relief of Canissa, besieged by the Turks, on the 7.th of Oct.r 1600; with a Description, and a Portrait of the Duke of Mercœur: by Thomas de Leu.
Subject(s)
Nagykanizsa [Canissa; Kanizsa], Zala, Hungary (46°27ʹ12ʺN 16°59ʹ27ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
P. Fodor and G. Dávid, Ottomans, Hungarians, and Habsburgs in Central Europe, Leiden, 2000, p. 152
C. Oman, A history of the art of war in the sixteenth century, London, reprinted 1989, p. 752.
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2761
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
