Philips Galle’s engraving, “The Battle at Marciano”, 1583, after Jan van der Straet

Philips Galle (Philippus Gallaeus; Philippe Galle) (1537–1612)

“The Battle at Marciano” (TIB title) (aka “Slag bij Marciano”), 1583, plate 4 from the series of 20 plates, “The History of the Medici” (TIB title) (aka “Mediceae Familiae Rerum Feliciter Gestarum Victoriae et Triumphi” [The Medici Family's Successful Achievements of Victory and Triumph]), after the design by Jan van der Straet (aka Joannes Stradanus; Ioannes Stradanus) (1523–1605), published in Antwerp by Philips Galle.

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed around the platemark and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 22.2 x 30.5 cm; (platemark) 22 x 30.2 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (upper right) “MARCIANVM”; (lower left) “4/ Johan Stradanus inventor/ Phls Galle fecit”; (lower centre) “Ad Marcianum, pro castris Gassi vario praelio contendentes Caesariamis et Aeihruscis/ militibus se minime pares este, suo magmo malo experiuntur.” ([transl.] “To Marcianus, for the camp of Gassi, contending in a varied battle, they are no match for the soldiers of Caesariam and Aeihrusci”. My apologies if my transcribing of the text has inaccuracies).

TIB 5601.102:8 (Arno Dolders [ed.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists: Philips Galle”, vol. 56, Supplement, New York, Abaris Books, p. 391, cat. no. [5601].102:8); New Hollstein (Stradanus) 364 (Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2008, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: Johannes Stradanus”, Amsterdam, Sound and Vision, p. 45; p. 56, cat. no. 364); New Hollstein (Galle) 495 (Manfred Sellink & Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2001, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: Philips Galle”, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision, p. 195; p. 209, cat. no. 495).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “The Battle of Marciano in 1554. The army of De'Medici under the command of Gian Giacomo De'Medici versus the French army of Pietro Strozzi. In the background the city of Marciano. In the foreground a river god with a cornucopia. The print has a Latin caption and is part of a series about the family history of the De' Medici family” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.490952).

See also the description offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Ii-5-160.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed around the image borderline and laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. Beyond a replenished hole in the upper left, the sheet is in a very good condition for its considerable age with no significant stains.

I am selling this visually engaging 1554 battle scene with the interesting feature of figures loading and firing muskets—at first I thought that this may be an anachronism, but I now understand that there were muzzle-loaded long guns in the early 1500s—for the total cost of AU$333 (currently US$216.82/EUR198.20/GBP170.01 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$333) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this remarkably fine engraving, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold