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Ottoman-Habsburg Wars (1521-1791)

Images from eight wars fought between 1570 and 1718

    DOMENICO ZENOI (FL. 1559-74)

    View of Velez de Gomera, 1564 (Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera [island], Spain [off the Moroccan coast]) 35°10ʹ19ʺN 04°17ʹ58ʺE

    1564 or later

    Etching with engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type B); gilt edges left, bottom and right | 34.0 x 47.3 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 721032

    A medium oblique view of the Spanish attack, commanded by Garcia Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Marquis of Villafranca (29 August 1514-31 May 1577) and capture of the corsair stronghold of el Peñón de la Velez de Gomera. The Ottoman Empire (1500-1606): Conflicts in the Mediterranean (1532-1565). Oriented with north-north-east (compass rose) to top.

    Spain captured el Peñón from the pirates who occupied it in 1508 and lost it again after a Moroccan Berber attack in 1522. Following its capture in 1564 it has remained in Spanish possession ever since.

    This is a very similar view to RCIN 721031 and is a mirror image of it: the compass points (East and West) and topographical details are reversed. All text is in Italian, not Spanish.

    • Domenico Zenoi (active 1560-80) (engraver)

      Giovanni Francesco Camocio (active 1560-72) (publisher) [engraved in bottom of cartouche:] apresso Gio. Francesco Camotio / Domenico Zenoi

      Subject(s)

      Navy-Spain

    • Watermark: Anchor in circle [similar to Woodward no. 157?]

      Condition: one fold line; cropped to edge of image; pressure marks are present along the b of the mount from mounted items which were placed above/below this item in a former collection

    • 34.0 x 47.3 cm (image and sheet)

      cropped (platemark)

      40.9 x 54.6 cm (mount)

    • Printed title:

      Il uero & natural sito della villa di Velez de Gomera, & l'inespugnabile forte et Castello chiamato il Pignon ... [lacks formal title; engraved text in cartouche, top centre]

      Annotations:

      George III heading: Velez de Gomera 9 Sep. 1564

      Other annotations: (Recto) [top right, on mount, black pencil:] 1564; [bottom right on mount, black pencil, erased:] 1564. (Verso) [top left, across mount and print, red pencil:] 1/31 [top left, black pencil:] II/35; [top right, black pencil, erased:] Valez de Gomera.

      George III catalogue entry:

      Velez de Gomera View of Velez de Gomera taken by the Forces of Philip II: by D. Zenoi, published by Camotio.

    • Subject(s)

      Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera [island], Spain [off the Moroccan coast] (35°10ʹ19ʺN 04°17ʹ58ʺE)

    • Bibliographic reference(s)

      M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2665

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    • 25 May 2024

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