Battle of Nieuwpoort – Matthias de Sallieth after Dirk Langedijk, 1783

THE BATTLE OF NIEUWPOORT

“De Glorierijke Overwinning behaald bij Nieuwpoort in Vlaanderen door de Troepen …der Verenigde Nederlanden, onder het Opperbevel van … Maurits, Prins van Oranje … op de Spaansche Legerbenden onder het Bevel van de …Albertus van Oostenrijk, benevens de gevangenneming van Franciscus de Mendoza, … op den 20sten July des Jaars 1600” [The Glorious Victory achieved at Nieuwpoort in Flanders by the Troops of the United Netherlands, under the Supreme Command of Maurits, Prince of Orange, over the Spanish Forces under the Command of Archduke Albert of Austria, together with the capture of Francisco de Mendoza, on the 20th of July in the Year 1600.] Etching with aquatint made in 1782 by Matthias de Sallieth after a drawing by Dirk Langendijk. With original hand colouring. Size: 42 x 58 cm.

Maurice of Orange had been sent to Flanders on behalf of the Netherlands to capture the city of Dunkirk. The privateering that operated out of Dunkirk was causing great damage to the shipping and fisheries of the Republic.

Completely unexpectedly, the Spanish army advanced toward Flanders under the command of Archduke Albert of Austria. The two armies met at Nieuwpoort, where a pitched battle ensued.

For the battle, Maurits had at his disposal 9,400 infantry and 2,500 cavalry. Albert commanded approximately 7,000 foot soldiers and 1,200 cavalry. The States army had only six cannons, while the Spanish army had eight.

The battle was won by the Dutch, but 1,000 men were killed and 700 seriously wounded. The Spanish lost 3,000 men. Albert had been forced to leave the battlefield with a head wound, and the Spanish general Francesco de Mendoza was taken prisoner.

The original objective of the campaign was Dunkirk, but due to poor weather conditions, a shortage of food, and fear of a new Spanish relief army, it was decided to leave the privateers undisturbed.

The campaign in Flanders was therefore regarded in the Republic as a failure, despite this victory in the field. Nevertheless, Maurits’s prestige as a military commander had grown — and this is beautifully captured in the print. In the foreground on the left we see Prince Maurits on horseback, surrounded by soldiers and officers, while the captured general De Mendoza is being led toward the prince. In the background, the fierce battle rages on.

Literature: Muller, Nederderlandse Historieplaten, no. 1147a

Price: Euro 1.250,-