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47
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Jean-Baptiste Martin, known as "Martin des batailles" (Paris…
See original version (French)
47
-
Jean-Baptiste Martin, known as "Martin des batailles" (Paris…
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,500 - €2,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Jean-Baptiste Martin,
known as "Martin des batailles" (Paris 1659-1735)
Cavalry manoeuvres at the Coudun camp, 1698
Wash and ink on paper
36.5 x 48.5 cm.
Captioned in ink: DISPOSITION des deux Armées rangées en Bataille, la Première Commandée par Monseigneur LE DUC DE BOURGOGNE; la Seconde par M de Rosen, le 19 Septembre 1698
Our drawing does not represent an actual battle, but a large military manoeuvre organised at the Coudun camp, near Compiègne, between 30 August and 22 September 1698. This assembly, which Louis XIV wanted, brought together more than 60,000 men and was as much a military exercise as a political demonstration designed to impress the European powers likely to ally themselves against France. Officially, the aim of these manoeuvres was to initiate the young Duke of Burgundy, the King's grandson and heir apparent to the Crown, into the art of war.
The scene depicted is a mock battle held on 19 September 1698 between two fictitious armies commanded respectively by the Duke of Burgundy and General Conrad de Rosen. Saint-Simon's Mémoires give a detailed account of this episode, including Rosen's reluctance to carry out the retreat called for in the scenario, which prolonged the spectacle before the amused eyes of the king and the court.
This military demonstration was part of a policy of representing power that was typical of the reign of Louis XIV. The exercises were accompanied by sumptuous receptions organised by Marshal de Boufflers, and were intended to showcase the discipline, power and organisation of the royal army. As the official painter of the Sun King's campaigns and heir to the tradition of Van der Meulen, Jean-Baptiste Martin's mission was to immortalise these events. His drawing adopts the panoramic view characteristic of his work, placing the main commanders - the Duke of Burgundy and Conrad de Rosen - in the foreground, while the troops deployed in the landscape illustrate the spectacular scale of the manoeuvres.
As such, this sheet is both a historical record of the Coudun camp and a piece of monarchical propaganda designed to celebrate France's military power at the end of the reign of Louis XIV.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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