The Conquest of Belgrade by Prince Eugen von Savoy in 1717.

the siege of belgrade

These two panoramic paintings depict a breaking point in European history, the defeat of the Ottoman Turks and the conquest of Belgrade by the hero of the Habsburg Empire Prince Eugen von Savoy in 1717. Prince Eugen von Savoy was in charge with the command of the Habsburg emperor Carl VI.

These two paintings are attributed to Jan van Huchtenburg, Prince Eugen's court painter who depicted him fighting on the battle field in many of his paintings. The paintings depict the conquest of Belgrade and the defeat of the Ottomans from different angles. The Belgrade castle, located between the rivers Donau and Sava, is in the centre of both of the compositions. In the first painting Prince Savoy is located in the middle on his white horse leading the victorious Habsburg army.

There are two scrolls on the first painting held by two black Habsburg eagles, representing the Habsburg Empire and stately background of the commission. The German inscription at the top of the right scroll reads:
'Abbildung des herrlichen Siges der Christl. Waffen unter Ihro Römisch. Kayser. u: Königl. Cathol. Majest. CAROLI VI ũ. Anfuhrung des Tapffern PRINC[?] EUGENII von Savoyen Durchl. Geschehen den 16. Augusti 1717 [- - -] [- - -] Türckisch [- - -] Belgrad'
['Depiction of the glorious victory of the Christian armies under Holy Roman Emperor and His Catholic Majesty CARL VI and the command of His Highness the valiant PRINCE EUGENE of Savoy, on 16th August 1717 [- - -] [- - -] Turkish [- - -] Belgrade']

In the first painting there is a map of the siege of Belgrade on the scroll on the left which appears to be closely related to a Belgrade map made by the master German engraver Gabriel Bodenehr (d. 1758). For Bodenehr's map, please see: The British Museum, Catalogue of Printed Maps etc., Vol. 2, Col. 578, No. 44 065. (8), London, 1967.

Jan van Huchtenberg the Court painter to Prince Eugen von Savoy Jan van Huchtenberg was a famous painter. He was first taught by Thomas Wijck. In Paris he worked in the Manufacture des Gobelins illustrating, sketching, designing. In 1670 he settled at Haarlem, where he married Elisabeth Mommes. Later, Huchtenburg ventured on cavalry skirmishes and engagements of regular troops generally, and these paintings were admired by Prince Eugene of Savoy who commissioned him to paint the chief incidents of the battles he fought. He died at Bloemgracht in the Jordaan, in 1733. Huchtenburg painted many of his pictures and prints for Prince Eugene and King William III. His earliest painting bearing the date 1674, is the Stag-Hunt in the Museum of Berlin, and the Fight with Robbers in the Liechtenstein Museum at Vienna. A Skirmish at Fleurus (1690) in the Brussels gallery seems but the precursor of larger and more powerful works, such as the Siege of Namur (1695) in the Belvedere at Vienna. After 1696 he regularly served as court painter to Prince Eugene, and in Galleria Sabadua in Turin, there are eleven paintings by him, depicting the battles of the great hero.

The paintings belong to a small group of works commissioned to commemorate the victories of Prince Eugen von Savoy. Attributed to Prince Eugen's court artist Jan van Huchtenburg, they are rare and highly important both in terms of their artistic value and their historical background.



Oil on canvas; each 1100 x 1720 mm.; framed & glazed.