The 'Battle for the Kauwenstein Dijk', engraved and titled Pugna in Aggerere Covenstio Anno 1585, depicts a significant battle during the Siege of Antwerp on 26 May 1585.
The engraving illustrates the fierce combat around the Kauwenstein embankment, where the Spanish forces under the Duke of Parma attempted to cut off supplies to the city of Antwerp, leading to intense fighting.
The scene vividly portrays soldiers engaged in close combat, naval forces in the background, and smoke rising from the battlefield as cannon fire and musket shots fill the air. The embankment, partially breached, is a focal point, showing the chaotic nature of the battle as forces from both sides converge.
At the top, the title is inscribed in Latin, and a detailed legend (A-O) at the bottom provides further explanations about various parts of the battle, referencing key locations, troops, and actions. The detailed precision of the engraving reflects the high level of craftsmanship typical of 16th-century military engravings, intended both as historical documentation and as a strategic illustration of warfare during this period of the Eighty Years' War.
The battle was crucial in the eventual fall of Antwerp to Spanish forces, marking a turning point in the city's history. The dramatic composition and historical significance of the event are captured in this engraving, making it a valuable artifact of early modern European military history.
This engraving titled Pugna in aggere Covenstio Anno 1585 (Battle of the Kauwenstein Dijk, 1585) is from the work The Siege of Antwerp, depicting the battles during the Eighty Years' War. It is likely part of a collection of prints illustrating key events from that conflict. The engraving itself may have been produced by Frans Hogenberg, a Flemish artist, mapmaker, and engraver, who was known for documenting historical events, especially battles and sieges, through his prints.
Hogenberg’s works often appeared in multi-volume collections such as Geschichtsblätter or other series depicting the Spanish-Dutch conflicts of the 16th century. This scene, showing the attempt to pierce the embankment and subsequent battle, is a vivid depiction of the military strategies and chaos of the time.
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.