Belgium - Namur; Hubert Vincent - PRESA DI NAMVR - 1681-1700

Splendid and fascinating copper engraving from the early eighteenth century, expressed on contemporary wove paper and originally titled in the sumptuous Baroque cartouche “Presa di Namvr.” This famous work of copperplate art was masterfully executed by the French engraver Hubert Vincent on a preparatory drawing by Matteo Nestus, included as the nineteenth illustrative plate inside the renowned historical treatise I pregi della Toscana by Abbot Fulvio Fontana, published in Florence in 1701 to celebrate the historical and valorous maritime military exploits carried out by the Sacred Religion of the Knights of Saint Stephen. The composition offers an extraordinary and spectacular bird’s-eye view that unites the geometric rigor of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century military architecture with the dynamism of naval battle iconography. In the foreground, the sea is crossed by a numerous and detailed fleet consisting of imposing clipper ships of the era and galleys marked with alphabetic letters for reference to the original historical text. At the center of the sheet rises majestically the elaborate bastioned fortress surrounded by defensive water moats, while the inland hills are meticulously animated by dense bands of infantry, squadrons of moving cavalry, and artillery positions protected. The upper part of the work is nobly dominated by a large fluttering banner enriched with Baroque motifs framing the title of the military undertaking. This refined print represents a precious and uncommon testimony to eighteenth-century Tuscan engraving art and the history of great European battles, ideal for demanding collectors of historical cartography or as an important antique piece for display.

Dimensions 24 x 32 cm
Will be shipped by courier