Belgio / Fiandre orientali - Oudenaarde (Flanders); James Smith - A VIEW AND REPRESENTATION OF THE BATTLE OF OUDENARDE - 1721-1750

Splendid and rare seventeenth-century historical engraving on contemporaneous hand-made paper, originally titled in the lower margin “A View and Representation of the Battle of Oudenarde.” This vigorous graphic art work is part of the famous British propaganda series titled “England's Glory,” etched by the master James Smith and printed in London by William Rayner in parallel with the renewed military tensions of the early eighteenth century. The scene immortalizes the celebrated military clash that occurred in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession, celebrating the wartime deeds of the allied forces led by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy against the French army. The work is distinguished by its plastically dynamic composition and the density of narrative details. In a dramatic and overwhelming foreground, the Imperial cavalry bursts through the enemy lines, showing close combat with bayonets, soldiers on the ground and moving steeds, where in a central position stands the figure of Prince Eugene of Savoy guiding the troops. In the background, the composition opens to a wide geographical perspective that accurately maps the movements of infantry battalions on the Flemish plain, showing on the left the winding course of the Scheldt River and the fortifications of the city of Oudenaarde. The lower margin is enriched by a long explanatory legend in English that serves as a key for identifying the strategic points of the battlefield, the military bridges, and the retreat movements of the French troops. This print represents a historical testimony of undeniable collectible and documentary interest, ideal for enthusiasts of eighteenth-century military iconography or as an important antique work.

Dimensions 36 x 47 cm

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