Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war
Siege of Saint-Omer, 1638
dated 1638Etching; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A) | 37.3 x 46.2 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 722131
A high oblique view/map of St Omer, besieged between 24 May and 16 July 1638, by the French, commanded by Gaspard III de Coligney, Maréchal de Châtillon 26 July 1584-4 January 1646), and defended by a small Dutch garrison commanded by the military governor Lancelot Schetz, later count of Grobbendonk (d.1664) resulting in the raising of the siege by the French on 16 July. Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Oriented with north-west to top (compass rose).
The area covered by the view extends from Calais (50°57ʹ07ʺN 01°51ʹ22ʺE) to Dunkirk (51°03'0"N 02°22'00"E) along the coast, and inland to the village of Arques (49°52ʹ52ʺN 01°07ʹ43ʺE), where Châtillon had his headquarters.
Stefano della Bella (1610-64) (etcher) [bottom right, inside neatline:] Stef della bella. fe / 1638.
Watermark: None visible
Condition: brown discolouration and slight offsetting. Mount trimmed; top right right corner cut off diagonally
37.3 x 46.2 cm (image and sheet)
39.8 x 51.9 cm (mount)
Printed title:
None
Additional text:
[down left side, in cartouche representing a curtain, a key, A-I, K-T, V, X-Z, &, XX, VV, and two further symbols, to the military features and other settlements on the view.]
Annotations:
George III heading: The Siege of S.t Omer raised by Marshal Chatillon on the 5.th of July 1638
Other annotations: (Recto) [bottom right, black pencil:] 234 [and] De V 878; [bottom right, black pencil, erased:] 1638 (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Omer, S.t A Plan of the Siege of S.t Omer raised by Marshal Chatillon on the 5.th of July 1638; by Stefano della Bella, 1638.
Subject(s)
Saint-Omer, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (50°45'00"N 02°15'00"E)
Bibliographic reference(s)
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 3035
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
