Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war
Siege of Arras, 1640
Les Ratz nont pas pris les Chatz; mais les François ont pris Arras,
1640 or laterEtched and engraved print on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B) together with letterpress text on two pieces of paper, mounted above and below the print on the same sheet of paper; gilt edge, top | 11.5 x 31.9 cm (image and neatline of print) | RCIN 722160
A view of Arras, held by the Spanish and defended by the Irishman Colonel Owen Roe O’Neill (c.1585-1649), and besieged from 12 June to 9 August by the French, commanded by Gaspard III de Coligny, Maréchal de Châtillon (26 July 1584-4 January 1646) and Charles de La Port, Duc de La Meilleraye 1602-8 February 1664), resulting in the capitulation of the town. Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Oriented with north to top.
See RCIN 722157.
This print shows the Spanish surrendering to Louis XIII, de Châtillon and de la Meilleraye. It is one of a genre which was published after the siege, together with verses, on the theme of French rats catching the Spanish cat. Its purpose was to emphasise that the French had achieved the seemingly impossible by defeating the stronger Spanish force holding Arras. The Spanish had apparently inscribed, on one of the town gates: ‘Quand les souris mangeront les chats / Les Français prendront Arras’. In return, when the French took Arras, Louis XIII’s troops are supposed to have replied, singing: ‘Quand les Français rendront Arras, les rats mangeront les chats’ (Leber, vol.3, p.201; De Laroche p.48). The title of this print (RCIN 722160) puts it another way: Rats can’t catch cats but the French took Arras.
Other examples of the genre include ‘La prise et deffaicte généralle des chatz d’Espaigne par le ratz françois devant la ville et cité d’Arras’ (Rijksmuseum RP-P-OB-81.486) in which the soldiers are given the heads of rats or cats. In another, a great beruffed Spanish cat is being harrassed by French rats at its paws (Archives départementales du Pas-de-Calais, 4 J 438/64), another depicts a fallen Spaniard, overrun by rats (4 J 438/67).
It is possible that the accompanying letterpress verses were published separately and were simply mounted together with the view. By comparing the fall of Arras with that of Jericho (even producing the name of Joshua out of an anagram of Louis) this sonnet follows the same theme of the conquest of the invincible stronghold.
Anonymous (printmaker)
Watermark: Print and text: none. Mount: none.
Condition: print and text creased. Pressure marks to recto and verso
11.5 x 31.9 cm (image and neatline of print)
cropped (platemark)
12.1 x 32.3 cm (sheet of print)
3.8 x 30.7 cm (sheet of top text)
5.9 x 34.0 cm (sheet of bottom text)
26.0 x 37.0 cm (mount)
Printed title:
Les Ratz nont pas pris les Chatz; mais les François ont pris Arras, [top centre of print]
Additional text:
[top:] Sur la prise d'Arras, representée par celle de Ierico. / SONNET.
[bottom text begins:] SVperbe IERICO qui te crois imuincible / Pourquoy resiste-tu contre l'ordre des Cieux? …
Annotations:
George III heading: Arras 12 June – 10 August 1640.
Other annotations: (Recto) [bottom left, red pencil, cropped and illegible] [and] [black pencil:] III/17. (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Arras Vue de la Ville d’Arras prise par le Roy Louis XIII, le 10 d’Aoust 1640. [annotated in black pencil: missing 13.2.[19]85]
Subject(s)
Arras, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (50°17'34"N 02°46'54"E)
Bibliographic reference(s)
M.C. Leber, Catalogue des Livres Imprimés, Manuscrits, Estampes, … composant la Bibliothèque de M.C. Leber, vol.3, Paris, 1839
R. De Laroche, L’Enchatclopédie, Paris 2010
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. nos. 3079-3081
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
