Belgio / Paesi Bassi - Antwerp (Antorf / Antwerpen)...

Splendid and historically significant 16th-century engraving on contemporary laid paper, originally titled in the upper cartouche in German: “Wie die Françosen so die Statt Antorf erobern und berauben wultten.” This famous graphic artwork bears the prestigious signature of the Flemish master Frans Hogenberg (1535–1590) and constitutes one of the most iconic historical plates created to document in real time the turbulent events of the Eighty Years' War in the Netherlands. The scene captures with stark realism and extraordinary narrative richness the dramatic day of January 17, 1583, known in history as the French Fury, during which the royal troops led by Francis, Duke of Anjou and Alençon, vainly attempted to storm and treacherously loot the wealthy city of Antwerp. The composition admirably depicts the violent urban guerrilla fighting that erupted in the streets and squares, where French soldiers on horseback charged the townspeople and the local militia, clashing in furious melees with melee weapons and the era’s early firearms. In the background stand the detailed architectural profiles of characteristic Flemish half-timbered houses with stepped gables, while at the center rises the imposing fortified structure of the Kipdorppoort, the city gate where the counteroffensive of the determined inhabitants of Antwerp managed to repel and decimate the invading French forces. The lower margin of the sheet is nobly completed by a verse composition divided into four columns in German that serves as a chronicle of the event, accompanied by two lines of summary in French. This refined print represents a valuable and rare testimony of Renaissance graphic journalism, ideal for discerning collectors of sixteenth-century historical events or as an important antique piece. Dimensions 25 x 34 cm Will be shipped via courier

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