This scarce and striking sheet depicting the Battle of Ramillies was originally published in the second volume of Jean Rousset de Missy's Histoire Militaire du Prince Eugene de Savoye, du Prince et Duc de Marlborough, et du Prince de Nassau-Frise (1729), a comprehensive and handsomely illustrated account of the War of Spanish Succession (1701-14). On May 23, 1706, under orders from Louis XIV, the Franco-Spanish-Bavarian army attacked the Grand Alliance near the village of Ramillies in present-day Belgium. Within four hours, the Grand Alliance annihilated the French and their allies, thanks to the superior tactics of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. The pivotal battle led to a streak of Grand Alliance victories in the Spanish Netherlands, including the capture of Brussels, Bruges, and Antwerp. The top part of the sheet is a map tracking the positions of troops during the fighting, with a key at top right that indicates the various troops, batteries, advances, and retreats. A compass rose orients north to the right. The bottom right corner of the map is adorned with a lavish title cartouche with military imagery. Along the bottom is a grisly vignette of the battle, engraved after Jan van Vianen.

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Condition: A

On a sheet with a "H" watermark and a bit of printer's ink residue.