1707 Homann Map of the Catholic Netherlands at the Opening of the War of the Spanish Succession
BelgiumLuxembourg-homann-1707
Title
1707 (undated) 19 x 22.25 in (48.26 x 56.515 cm) 1 : 820000
Description
A Closer Look
The map presents the Belgium-Luxembourg region reflecting the territorial divisions of 1702 when the Duke of Marlborough was leading a combined force of Dutch and English pro-Habsburg armies against the predominantly French/Bourbon armies in play along the Rhine and the Meuse. The map shows the French defensive line extending from above Antwerp, in Brabant, towards the Bishopric of Liège. To circumvent this and take advantage of transport along the river, Marlborough and his Dutch allies moved up the Meuse, capturing forts at Venlo, Stevensweert, and Roermont. In October, Marlborough marched on Liège. Liège's Magistrates yielded the city swiftly while the French withdrew to the citadel, which held out for three days. The city's bombardment and the capture of its citadel became famous: printed depictions of it were published by both pro-Bourbon and pro-Habsburg presses. The bombardment of the citadel is here depicted in a medallion in the lower right. Two ferocious lions loom over the scene; one's claws hold a banner - 'Pro Caesare'- atop the medallion; the other rears, brandishing a sword in one paw and seven arrows in the other. The arms of the latter identify it with the coat of arms of the Netherlands; the former likely represents the British lion, the two lions thus representing the triumphant armies having seized Liège (Lüttich, in German) for the Habsburg Emperor.The elegantly-engraved cartouche in the upper left is framed with classical figures. At the bottom, two river gods - Fluminae or Potamoi - recline; water flowing from their jugs is an allegory for the Rhine and the Meuse. Standing at the right is Mars, the god of war; his right hand holds a sword aloft, while his left points to the map. After the conclusion of the War of Spanish Succession, Homann reengraved the cartouche to depict Mars instead pointing to a military drum, with a pair of dice upon it. The dice serve as a general comment on the fortunes of war and perhaps a specific reference to the passage of the Southern Netherlands from Bourbon Spain to Habsburg Austria, dictated by war's throw of the dice.
Publication History and Census
This map may have been produced as early as 1702 but cannot have been engraved prior to the capture of Liège in late October of that year. It first appeared in the Homann Atlas Novus in 1707 and remained in the atlas at least until 1712, after which the plate was significantly reengraved or replaced, probably after the 1713 treaty of Utrecht but certainly by 1716. Most examples of this map that have survived are the reworked version (most easily identified by the presence of the drum in the cartouche and a new key indicating territorial changes). In its various editions, the map is well represented in institutional collections; likewise, the map appears on the market, but its dating (and attendant historical context) is poorly appreciated.Cartographer
Johann Baptist Homann (March 20, 1664 - July 1, 1724) was the most prominent and prolific map publisher of the 18th century. Homann was born in Oberkammlach, a small town near Kammlach, Bavaria, Germany. As a young man, Homann studied in a Jesuit school and nursed ambitions of becoming a Dominican priest. Nonetheless, he converted to Protestantism in 1687, when he was 23. It is not clear where he mastered engraving, but we believe it may have been in Amsterdam. Homann's earliest work we have identified is about 1689, and already exhibits a high degree of mastery. Around 1691, Homann moved to Nuremberg and registered as a notary. By this time, he was already making maps, and very good ones at that. He produced a map of the environs of Nürnberg in 1691/92, which suggests he was already a master engraver. Around 1693, Homann briefly relocated to Vienna, where he lived and studied printing and copper plate engraving until 1695. Until 1702, he worked in Nuremberg in the map trade under Jacob von Sandrart (1630 - 1708) and then David Funck (1642 - 1709). Afterward, he returned to Nuremberg, where, in 1702, he founded the commercial publishing firm that would bear his name. In the next five years, Homann produced hundreds of maps and developed a distinctive style characterized by heavy, detailed engraving, elaborate allegorical cartouche work, and vivid hand color. Due to the lower cost of printing in Germany, the Homann firm could undercut the dominant French and Dutch publishing houses while matching their diversity and quality. Despite copious output, Homann did not release his first major atlas until the 33-map Neuer Atlas of 1707, followed by a 60-map edition of 1710. By 1715, Homann's rising star caught the attention of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who appointed him Imperial Cartographer. In the same year, he was also appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Homann's prestigious title came with several significant advantages, including access to the most up-to-date cartographic information as well as the 'Privilege'. The Privilege was a type of early copyright offered to very few by the Holy Roman Emperor. Though less sophisticated than modern copyright legislation, the Privilege offered limited protection for several years. Most all J. B. Homann maps printed between 1715 and 1730 bear the inscription 'Cum Priviligio' or some variation. Following Homann's death in 1724, the firm's map plates and management passed to his son, Johann Christoph Homann (1703 - 1730). J. C. Homann, perhaps realizing that he would not long survive his father, stipulated in his will that the company would be inherited by his two head managers, Johann Georg Ebersberger (1695 - 1760) and Johann Michael Franz (1700 - 1761), and that it would publish only under the name 'Homann Heirs'. This designation, in various forms (Homannsche Heirs, Heritiers de Homann, Lat Homannianos Herod, Homannschen Erben, etc.) appears on maps from about 1731 onwards. The firm continued to publish maps in ever-diminishing quantities until the death of its last owner, Christoph Franz Fembo (1781 - 1848). More by this mapmaker...