Siege de Bergopzoon Commande

Dateca. 1775

MediumLine engraving on laid paper with hand coloring

Dimensions8 5/8" x 16 3/8" plate only

Credit LineGift of Anonymous Donors

Object number1971-2839

Description*--(in reverse at top): Siege De Bergopzoom".
Lower margin reads: "Siege de BERGOPZOOM Commande par M.r Le Marechat de LOWENDAL."
Label TextThis print depicts the siege of Bergen op Zoom, an important event during the War of Austrian Succession. This print depicts the siege from the attackers viewpoint. The siege-works are accurate and similar to the ideal types in Vauhan's books on siege works. Foreground is the command post of the attackers and a makeshift hospital; middleground is occupied by the trenches; and the background contains the besieged, fortified city and the distant sea. This print is an example of an optical view. An optical view is a print made to be observed under a perspective glass which gives an illusion of dimension to the print. Often, optical prints would be made in mirror-image in order to appear correctly through the perspective glass. On the upper margin of this print the title is printed backwards. This was a common practice so that the viewer would be able to read the title under the perspective glass.

ProvenanceBefore 1971, anonymous; 1971-present, given to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).