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Ottoman-Habsburg Wars (1521-1791)

Images from eight wars fought between 1570 and 1718

? ANTOINE DU PINET (C. 1515-1584)

Siege of Algiers, 1541

ALGERI

c.1564

Engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges left, bottom and right | Scale: not stated. Not to scale. | RCIN 721010

A low oblique view of the Turkish garrison in Algiers being besieged by the army of Charles V. The siege took place in October, when Charles V landed a force of 21,000 men 12 miles east of Algiers, but a storm wrecked most of the Imperial fleet; a sortie by the muslim defenders caused heavy casualties, and the emperor, with 14,000 survivors, returned to Europe on October 27.The Ottoman Empire (1500-1606): Conflicts in the Mediterranean (1532-1565). Oriented with south to top (‘LEVANTE’ is written to the left edge and ‘PONENTE’ appears along the right edge).

The view shows the troops of the Holy League (Spain, Holy Roman Empire, Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, Knights of Malta. Republic of Genoa and the Papal States) to the west of Algiers. They have set up camp and established an offensive front with lines of cannon and gabions, powder barrels and ammunition. Behind these stand groups of pikemen and the cavalry is advancing across the plains towards the city. The surrounding hills are annotated to indicate that they form underground water sources for Algiers or, to the east, that the centre of the city can be seen from that vantage point. Meanwhile, Turkish ships lie to the east of the fortified walls. The vigorous repulse by the Turks is shown by the cannon fire from the walls but the scene is early in the conflict because the sally by the Algerian garrison, who, in the appalling weather conditions, gained the upper hand, is not shown.

This example appears to have been published by Jean D’Ogerolles in 1564, in a volume by Antoine Du Pinet entitled Plantz, pourtraitz et descriptions de plusieurs villes et forteresses, tant de l’Europe, Asie, & Afrique, que des Indes, & terres neuues: leurs fondations, antiquitez, & manieres de viure: auec plusieurs cartes generales & particuliere; it is illustrated (Fig.3) in Cresti (1982).

  • ? Antoine du Pinet (c. 1515-1584) (printmaker)

    ? Jean d’Ogerolles (active 1556-86) (printer)

  • Watermark: Indistinct device in circle

    Condition: one fold line; one fold line to mount, not coincident with fold line on print; paper slightly creased, perhaps during printing; some wear and tear along fold; the words ‘MARE MEDI TERANEVM', along the bottom edge of the print, appear to have been partly erased and the abrasion has worn a hole, bottom centre; the pattern of surface dirt indicates that the map has been left with other items on top of it in an untidy pile long enough for the dirt to have accumulated; small ink splash top, left of centre; foxing along bottom and right edges

  • Scale: not stated. Not to scale

    26.5 x 36.1 cm (image and sheet)

    cropped (platemark)

    40.5 x 54.6 cm (mount)

  • Printed Title:

    ALGERI [top centre, in scroll]

    Annotations:

    George III heading: Algiers besieged by Charles V in 1541.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [on mount, top right, black pencil, partly erased:] 1541; [on mount, bottom right corner, black pencil:] 1541. (Verso) [on mount, top left, red pencil:] 1/9; [on mount, top right, black pencil, erased:] Algiers.

    George III catalogue entry:

    Algiers View of Algiers besieged by Charles V in 1541.

  • Subject(s)

    Algiers, Alger, Algeria (36°45ʹ09ʺN 03°02ʹ31ʺE)

  • Bibliographic reference(s)

    R.E. Dupuy and T.N. Dupuy, The encyclopedia of military history from 3500BC to the present, revised edition, London 1980, pp. 499-500

    C. Hoffman, ‘Publishing and the map trade in France, 1470-1670’, in The history of cartography, 3, pt 2, Chicago 2007, pp. 1569-1588 especially pp.1570-1

    M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2644

    M. Pastoureau, ‘Les atlas imprimés en France avant 1700’, Imago Mundi 32, 1980, p. 49-50

Page revisions

  • 14 March 2024