Thirty Years War (1618-48)
Maps, prints and letterpress text covering the major battles and sieges of the war
Siege of Hesdin, 1639
PLAN / DV SIEGE / DE / HESDIN, / ASSIEGÉ ET PRIS / par les Armes de sa Majesté, / commandées par Monsei- / gneur le Mareschal de la / Meilleraye, Grand Maistre / de l’Artillerie
1639Etching; printed from three copperplates on four sheets of paper, joined; mounted on paper (Remains of type B mount) | Scale: 1:8,000 approx. | RCIN 722139.a
A map of Spanish-held Hesdin, besieged between 19 May and 29 June 1639 by the French, commanded by Charles de La Porte, Duc de La Meilleraye (1602-8 February 1664), resulting in the capitulation of the town on 29 June. Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Oriented with south to top.
The numbers on the map are explained in the accompanying letterpress text (RCIN 722139.b).
Cannon (p.39) notes that Meilleraye reached Hesdin on 19 May and began the siege with 'great vigour. The camp was visited by Louis XIII and, when the garrison surrendered on 29 June, he was 'so well pleased with the manner in which this siege had been conducted, that he presented General Meilleraie with the baton of a Marshal of France; the ceremony was performed in the breach he had made in the fortress, and the King commanded the Te Deum to be sung in the principal church of the town.'
Attributed to Abraham Bosse (1604-76) (engraver)
Melchior Tavernier (1594-1665) (publisher) [bottom of text (RCIN 722139.b):] Grauér & Imprimé par comman- / dement de sa Majesté. / A PARIS, / Par MELCHIOR TAVERNIER, Graueur & Imprimeur du Roy pour les Cartes Geogra- / phiques, Marines & Tailles-douces, demeu- / rant en l’Isle du Palais sur le Quay qui / regarde la Megisserie, à la / Sphere Royalle. / M.DC.XXXIX.
Watermark: 1) Bunch of grapes; 2) bunch of grapes with the initials IC above; 3) the letters A G, separated by a lozenge, in a rectangular panel with fleur-de-lys above.
Condition: five fold lines; creased; brown discolouration to both sides. Verso: mount: cropped; style not known. Pressure marks to verso
Scale: 1:8,000 approx. Scale bar: Echelle de 100 Thoises [24 mm =].
66.5 x 67.0 cm (neatline)
67.1 x 67.6 cm (image)
cropped (platemark)
67.3 x 68.1 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
PLAN / DV SIEGE / DE / HESDIN, / ASSIEGÉ ET PRIS / par les Armes de sa Majesté, / commandées par Monsei- / gneur le Mareschal de la / Meilleraye, Grand Maistre / de l’Artillerie. [title appears on accompanying letterpress text (RCIN 722139.b)]
Annotations:
George III heading: Hesdin taken 30 June 1639
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [right, red pencil:] Hesdin taken by Lewis 13 1639.
George III catalogue entry:
Hesdin Plan du Siege de Hesdin assiegée et prise (le 30 Juin 1639) par les Armes de Sa Majesté commandées par le Mareschal de la Meilleraye: chez Tavernier, 1639. 3 feuilles.
Subject(s)
Hesdin, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (50°22ʹ24ʺN 02°02ʹ17ʺE)
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. 3041
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
