Paesi Bassi / Francia - Calais; Adriaen Huberti - Assedio e Presa di Calais (1596) - 1581-1600

Very rare and spectacular contemporary 1596 copperplate engraving depicting the historic siege and capture of the city and castle of Calais by Spanish troops, published in Antwerp by Adriaen Huberti and preserved in a magnificent original inking.

This extraordinary and exceptionally well-documented military map constitutes an iconographic testimony of utmost importance for the geopolitical and military history of Renaissance Europe. The plate immortalizes in real time the great siege of Calais, which occurred in April 1596, when powerful Spanish armies coming from the nearby Spanish Netherlands, under the command of Archduke Cardinal Albert of Austria, besieged and captured the strategic port city and its castle. The exemplar boasts exceptional collecting relevance thanks to the signature Huberti exc: cum pri. clearly legible in the lower left corner, which directly connects the print to the famous workshop of Adriaen Huberti in Antwerp, a reference point for military iconography and the grand prints of apparatus of the late Flemish sixteenth century.

The visual composition unfolds with a bird’s-eye perspective layout of extraordinary narrative density, capable of marrying the rigor of a fortified map with the spectacle of a battlefield view. In the center stands the detailed plan of the fortified city of Calais and its adjacent castle, separated by the canal and protected by thick walls. In the upper portion the sea surface is animated by warships and Spanish galleons, with the indication of the Risbanc fort and the coastal dunes. The lower section is entirely occupied by the meticulous arrangement of the besiegers’ regiments and military encampments, with the identification of the Spanish cavalry formations (Cauallerie Espaig.), the Walloon contingents (Walons), the Germans (Allemans) and the stations of the commanders, including D. Alonzo de Mend, Mar. de Rone and the quartier of the Prince of Orange (P. d'Orange). The lower margin is nobly completed by a double bilingual inscription in Dutch and Old French certifying the capture of the city on 17 April 1596 and of the castle on the following 24 April.

The specimen presents in excellent overall condition, printed on sturdy contemporary paper with a watermark, characterized by a sharp, deep black inking, rich in contrasts, with healthy margins on all sides and a completely white back.

Dimensions 23 x 31 cm
Will be shipped by registered mail