Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war
Order of battle at Battle of Lützen, 1632 (Lützen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) 51°15ʹ24ʺN 12°08ʹ29ʺE
c.1633Etching and engraving; printed on paper; laid down on paper and then mounted on paper (Mount Type A) | 27.0 x 34.5 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 722070.a
A medium/high oblique view of the order of battle of the opposing armies at the Battle of Lützen, fought on 16 November (N.S.) 1632 between the Protestant Swedish army, commanded by Gustavus Adolphus (9 December 1594-16 November 1632) and the Catholic Holy Roman Empire commanded by Albrecht von Wallenstein (24 September 1583-25 February 1634), resulting in a Protestant victory at the cost of the death of the Swedish king. Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Oriented with north-west to top.
The accompanying letterpress text at RCIN 722070.b includes a key to the letters and numbers on the view.
This view was first published, together with RCIN 722072, in 1633 between pages 628 and 629 of Merian's Theatrum Europaeum. It was also separately published, and pasted sided by side with RCIN 722072 with the accompanying letterpress text (RCIN 722070.b) attached below the two views. A woodcut title was pasted across the top of the whole: 'ABBILDVNG DER SCHLACHT SO BEY LUTZEN DEN 6. NOVEMB: 1632. GESCHECHEN.' [See Bayrische Staatsbibliothek München. Another example is at Dresden (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kupferstich-Kabinett, Signatur/Inventar-Nr.: A 136483 in A 288c, 4).
It seems that Dal Pozzo may have had the entire artefact but kept the three pieces separately, mounting each separately and discarding the woodcut title.
Matthäus Merian I (1593-1650) (engraver)
Subject(s)
Army-SwedenArmy-Holy Roman EmpireWatermark: Map: coat or arms, the letters I B below. Mount: none. Backing paper: bird standing on three boulders within circle.
Condition: wear and some tears along line of former centre fold; old repair; no gilt edges. One fold line to the backing paper; pressure marks from the mounts of items which were kept above this print in a different collection are present on the recto
27.0 x 34.5 cm (image and sheet)
34.4 x 38.2 cm (mount)
Printed title:
Delineation / Der Schwedischen / und Keÿserischen Schlacht / ordnung den 6. Nouemb: 1632. / beÿ Lützen gehalten [bottom right, in decorative oval cartouche with two trumpets and ribbons at top]
Additional text:
[top right, in oval cartouche:] In Tessarem Militarem Vtriusq / Exercitus. / Quæ Regi erat / GOTT MIT VNS. / Fridlandie vero. / IESVS MARIA. / Orat uterq Ducum. nec uincit uterq salute / Fortis hic est hominum fortior ille Dei
Annotations:
George III heading: Battle of Lutzen 6 Nov.r 1632.
Other anotations: (Recto) [bottom right, erased and illegible, black pencil.] (Verso) none.
George III catalogue entry:
Lutzen Delineation der Schwedischen und Keyserischen Schlacht ordnung den 6 Novemb. 1632 bey Lutzen gehalten: von M. Merian. [with a Description]
Subject(s)
Lützen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany (51°15ʹ24ʺN 12°08ʹ29ʺE)
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. 2942
Page revisions
25 May 2024
Current version
