Belgium - Flanders

Rare and imposing eighteenth-century military and topographic map of the siege of Mons, literally titled "PLAN des ATTAQUES de MONS en 1746." This superb copperplate engraving was conceived by the renowned royal geographer Georges-Louis Le Rouge (1712–1790) and finely carved by the celebrated Parisian engraver Jean Lattré (1705–1791) — as testified by the signature "Lattré Paris Sc." in the bottom right corner — to be included in 1746 within the important war work Théâtre de la dernière guerre en Flandres. The work adopts the characteristic and elegant Baroque scenographic effect in which the meticulous star-shaped plan of the city fortifications appears impressed on a large sheet of parchment fictitiously rolled at the sides and overlaid on the map of the surrounding territory. The cartography offers an exceptional density of military details tied to the Austrian Succession War, highlighting the lines of circumvallation, the French approaches, nearby waterways and the various defensive outposts of the fortress. In the bottom left corner stands a magnificent figurative cartouche rich in dramatic details, adorned with laurel branches, flags and a muzzle-loading cannon in the foreground framing the official title of the work. In the top right there is the original typographic reference "Pl. 13." Printed on sturdy contemporary laid paper, this sheet represents an elite document with great visual appeal for all collectors of military engineering and the history of the Benelux. Dimensions 23 x 34 cm Shipped by courier

Estimate:$1.12

View all items fromCatawikiorBooks, Maps & Manuscripts