Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war
Battle of Nördlingen, 1645
LA BATAILLE DE NORDLINGEN DONNÉE LE TROISIESME IOVR D’AOVST 1645 / entre les armées du tres Chrestien Louys 14 Roy de France et de Nauarre: Commandée par Monseigneur le Duc d’Anguyen, / Prince du Sang...
published 1646Etching and engraving; printed from four copperplates on four sheets of paper, joined; laid down on coarse brown linen; edged in cerise silk ribbon; two pink linen ties to top edge; a brass ring for hanging, now missing, was formerly sewn to the top left and top right corners | 118.6 x 89.4 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 723061.2.a
A view and order of battle of the Battle of Nordlingen, fought on 3 August 1645 between the armies of France and Saxe-Weimar, commanded by Louis II de Bourbon-Condé, duc d’Enghien (8 September 1621-11 December 1686) and Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne (11 September 1611-27 July 1675) and the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire and Bavaria, commanded by Franz von Mercy (d.3 August 1645) and Count Johann von Werth (1591-16 January 1652), resulting in a French victory. Thirty Years War (1618-1648).
Another example of this print in a slightly different state, is at RCINs 723061.a, b. The only difference which can be discerned is in the Beaulieu imprint which, on RCIN 723061.1.a, is rendered ‘Par le S.r de Beaulieu Ingenieur et Geographe Ord.re du Roy. 1646.’ Since the spacing of the beginning and end of this imprint is identical on the two examples, it follows that the gap in the imprint of RCIN 723061.2.a indicates the deletion of ‘et Geographe Ord.re du Roy.’ from the copperplate of 723061.1.a and the re-engraving of the shorter imprint which appears on RCIN 723061.2.a which must, therefore, be a later state.
The attribution of some of the engraving to Noël Cochin rather than Nicolas Cochin is made by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (an example of RCINs 723061.1.a,b).
The original design and survey for this print was made by Beaulieu, who was present at the Battle of Nördlingen. Having lost his right arm at the siege of Philippsburg in 1644, he thereafter made all his maps and sketches using his left hand (see RCIN 723051).
The method of mounting this map – on linen and with silk edging, with linen ties and brass rings for hanging – was a treatment given in George III’s time to several maps of important events in the collection which were stored, tied up as a roll, or displayed by being hung up, for example, on mahogany cross trees. The map rolls were kept in the cupboards and shelves of long tables, hence the pressmark ‘5 Tab.2’ (Table 5, drawer 2).
The title is top centre of the bottom print, between vignettes of Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen.
Nicolas Cochin (1610-86) (engraver)
Jean Frosne (c.1620-after 1676) (engraver)
After Stefano della Bella (1610-64) (draughtsman)
After Sébastien Pontault de Beaulieu (c. 1612-74) (cartographer)
Catherine Leziers (active 1644-48) (publisher)
Francois Langlois (1589-1647) (publisher)
Sébastien Pontault de Beaulieu (c. 1612-74) (publisher)
Watermark: None visible
118.6 x 89.4 cm (image and sheet)
some platemarks cropped (platemark)
61.0 x 47.1 cm (image of top left sheet)
60.0 x 41.5 cm (image of top right sheet)
56.5 x 46.5 cm (image of bottom left sheet)
56.9 x 41.5 cm (image of bottom right sheet)
Printed title:
LA BATAILLE DE NORDLINGEN DONNÉE LE TROISIESME IOVR D’AOVST 1645 / entre les armées du tres Chrestien Louys 14 Roy de France et de Nauarre: Commandée par Monseigneur le Duc d’Anguyen, / Prince du Sang, Pair de France Gouuerneur pour sa Maiesté en ses Prouinces de Champagne et Brie: et l’Imperiale et / Bauaroise Commandée par les Generaux Gléen et Mercy. [across top of top print, to each side of the portrait]
Printed title:
ORDRE DE LA / BATAILLE / DE NORDLINGEN [top centre of bottom print, between vignettes of Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen]
Additional text:
[top, around the oval portrait of the Duc d’Enghien:] LOVIS DE BOVRBON DVC D’ANGVIEN PRINCE DV SAN[G] PAIR DE FRANCE. [Between the crown and the top of the portrait:] Ætatis / suæ / 24.
Annotations:
George III heading [bottom right, black pencil:] Nordlingen 1645
Other annotations: (Recto) [top left, black pencil:] III/61 Military. (Verso) [top right, black pencil:] Nordlingen 1644 [sic]; [top right, contemporary paper label with the ink numbers:] [I]/[5]3; [top centre, a label from the 1980s, printed in red:] ROYAL LIBRARY [blue biro:] III/61.
George III catalogue entry:
Nordlingen Vue et Ordre de la Bataille de Nordlingen donnée le 3.me d’Aoust 1645 entre les Armées de Louis XIV commandées par le Duc d’Anguyen, et l’Imperiale et Bavaroise commandée par les Generaux Gléen et Mercy: par le S.r de Beaulieu, dessiné par Stef. de Bella et gravé par Cochin. 4 feuilles: avec une Description. Another Copy of D.o [i.e. the example described in this entry]
Subject(s)
Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany (48°51ʹ04ʺN 10°29ʹ19ʺE)
Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria, Germany (49°04ʹ10ʺN 10°19ʹ11ʺE)
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
