War of Succession Engraving, 1745 Depicting the Battle of Saragossa, 1710

Fine original engraving performed in black ink on white paper that depicts the position of the troops in the Battle of Saragossa, during the War of Spanish Succession. The plan dates from 1750 and was made by the famous English engraver James Basire, highly noted for his maps and battle plans. The work is in good condition and we can scarcely see signs of its ancient age, more than two hundred years ago. The engraving depicts the land that surrounded the city of Saragossa, also in the plan, and the position of the troops. The image is embellished by a nice cartouche located in the right top corner and has a descriptive text at the bottom margin and another cartouche with the scale. The Battle of Saragossa was one of the most important events in the War of Spanish Succession, a content that took place between 1701 and 1713 between the French Bourbon king army, supported by the Crown of Castile, and the army of the Archduke of Austria (Allies), supported by the Crown of Aragon. The belligerents pursued the Spanish throne after king Carlos II had died without offspring. The Battle of Saragossa, also known as Battle of Mount Torrero, took place in 1710 and ended with the victory of the Alleys. The Bourbon king Phillip of Anjou (Felipe V) had to escape dressed as a common soldier and the Archduke Charles of Austria entered the city and won back the Kingdom of Aragon. The top right cartouche is shaped as a shield and is adorned with a battle scene at the bottom. It describes the order of the Battle, and under the text we can see a small signature with the engravers name: J. Basire Sculp. It stands for James Basire, a famous engraver of maps, portraits and battle plans whose father, Isaac Basire, was also an engraver. James Basire achieved great popularity and for some time was also the teacher of famous English poet and artist William Blake. He engraved the portraits of some relevant figures of the time such as Captain Cook and Lady Stanhope, as well as many wonderful maps, architectural images and antiquarian scenes. This engravings historic relevance and impeccable making turn it into an essential work of art, worthy of the best collection of ancient documents. Measurements: Width: 19.1 in/48.6 cm. Height: 15.9 in/39.1 cm.