Plan de la Ville de Bouchain Situe sur les Rivieres de la Sensette, et de l’Escaut, dans le Comte de Hainaut.

Title

Plan de la Ville de Bouchain Situe sur les Rivieres de la Sensette, et de l’Escaut, dans le Comte de Hainaut.

Description

The map depicts a military fortification and siege plan of the city of Bouchain, situated on the rivers Sensée and Scheldt in the County of Hainaut. It shows the city, its fortifications, the surrounding terrain, and the military positions and siege works of the Allied forces. Upper right: title cartouche with an index from A - F and a scale bar in miles. Cartographer and engraver Pieter van Call (1655 - 1722), signed “P. v. Cal fecit” in the cartouche. Published by Anna Beek, with printing privilege, The Hague, from the series "Plans de fortifications et de batailles".

c. 1711

Artist

Beek Anna (1657-1717)

Anna Beek (1657–1717), born and died in The Hague, was a prominent Dutch map and print publisher based in The Hague. Among other subjects, she specialised in maps and plans depicting battles, sieges, and fortifications during the War of the Spanish Succession. She published numerous such prints between approximately 1697 and 1717. Her work is particularly significant in the history of cartography, as she was one of the few prominent female map publishers of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Her maps and plans are today sought after by collectors and libraries.

Historical Description

Bouchain is located in northern France, in the Nord department, in the Hauts-de-France region. The town lies on the Scheldt (Escaut) River, about 15 km southwest of Valenciennes and around 35 km southeast of Lille, near the Belgian border. Historically, Bouchain was an important fortified town and military stronghold because of its strategic position along the Scheldt.