This website presents our knowledge and research on this important aspect of the Royal Collection. As of April 2026 it will not be regularly updated and new research on this topic will sit within the main website.

Thirty Years War (1618-48)

Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war

MELCHIOR TAVERNIER (1594-1665)

Siege of Breisach, 1638 (Breisach am Rhein, [Vieux-Brisach] Baden-Württemburg, Germany) 48°01'58"N 07°34'58"E

published 1638

Letterpress text on three pieces of paper, joined to form one column of text; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges top, right and bottom | 47.1 x 15.8 cm (sheet) | RCIN 722121.b

This text gives the key, A-I, L-T, V, to the features on the view at RCIN 722121.a.

Formerly folded inside a rough buff paper folder, still present in the collection, on which is written, in black pencil and red ink, the George III heading and, in black pencil: a & b [19] ’86 CMB.

  • Melchior Tavernier (1594-1665) (publisher) [bottom of text:] A PARIS, / Chez MELCHIOR TAVERNIER, Graueur & Imprimeur du / Roy pour les Cartes Topographicques, Marines, & Tailles- / douces, demeurant en l’Isle du Palais sur le Quay qui / regarde la Megisserie, à la Sphere Royale. / M. DC. XXXVIII.

    Subject(s)

    Army-France
    Army-Saxony
  • Watermark: Text: bunch of grapes. Mount: none.

    Condition: one fold line to text and mount, both are the same fold; traces of green paint to part of the right edge of the mount; some surface dirt to the edges of the mount front and back. Pressure marks from the mounts of items which were kept above and below this print in a different collection are present on the recto and verso

  • 47.1 x 15.8 cm (sheet)

    54.6 x 40.2 cm (mount)

  • Printed title:

    PLAN DE LA VILLE / DE BRISAC, ASSIEGEE PAR / les Armes de sa Majesté, sous la conduite du / Duc Bernard de Saxe Vveimar.

    Annotations:

    George III  heading: Brisach 1638.

    Other annotations: (Recto) [bottom left, under old heading number, erased and almost illegible: another number]; [bottom right, black pencil, indistinct, offset from verso of RCIN 722121.a?:] B[e]ion. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil:] II/11[5]b; [bottom right, black pencil:] 1638.

    George III catalogue entry:

    Brisach Plan de la Ville de Brisac assiegée par les Armes de Sa Majesté sous la conduite du Duc Bernard de Saxe Weimar en 1638: chez Tavernier, 1638.

  • Subject(s)

    Breisach am Rhein, [Vieux-Brisach] Baden-Württemburg, Germany (48°01'58"N 07°34'58"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. 3024

Page revisions

  • 23 May 2024