HOOGHE Romeyn de - Cycle of 10 etchings "The siege and liberation of Vienna". 1683.

HOOGHE Romeyn de (1645-1708) - [Acta Prope Obsessam A Turc: Tart: Reb. etc. Viennam Austriae Vere Heroica - elegantissime expressa]. Complete cycle of 10 etchings "Siege and Liberation of Vienna".
John III 49; Glory and Fame 111-113. etchings form. ca 15.5x20 cm mounted on cardboard backings form. 25x33 cm. The series engraved according to his own drawing by the Dutch artist Romeyn de Hooghe (1645-1708), was published in Amsterdam in 1683 by Nicolas Visscher. It comments on current events by depicting the various phases of the siege of Vienna by the Turkish army of Kara Mustafa. Engravings signed on the plate with the name of the artist and the publisher. Bilingual Dutch and French signatures and plate consecutive numbers under the compositions. The de Hooghe series relates to Polish affairs for obvious reasons. Plate No. 7 shows the start of the battle by the Polish cavalry and the participation of Jakub Sobieski in the battle. "Against the background of the fierce battle, the prince, distinguished by his courage, on a mounted horse, is shown in a direct clash with the enemy, whom, having seized his shield, he attacks with his saber. The military success of the Polish troop and [...] the royal son, Jacob, is evidenced by the defeated Turks lying at his feet, their weapons and horses" ("Glory and Fame of Jan III in Art and Literature of the 17th-20th Centuries. Catalog of the Jubilee Exhibition [...]", War. 1983, s. 182). Figure 9 depicts the moment of the capture of the vizier's flag. "The composition shows a fragment of the battle, in which the action centers around the person of John III. The king on horseback, wearing a cap with a crown, in a delia lined with ermine [...], with a raised saber in his hand, is shown in the center of the ongoing battle, at the moment when Polish knights snatch the mace of their commander from the hands of the Turks. The heroized image of the king against the backdrop of the raised copies of the troops advancing behind him clearly stands out from the figures clustered around him" (ibid., p. 183). The series lived to see later, re-engraved editions; here we present the first edition. The engravings were also used to decorate J. van Ghelen's work "Relation succinte et veritable [...]" (Brussels 1684). The series of etchings by the Dutch engraver came with an engraved title card, which is not included here. Engravings in good condition. Pencil notations on cardboard backing. Infrequent.