Seneffe 1674

 

By Adam Frans van der Meulen 

The Battle of Seneffe took place on 11 August 1674 during the Franco-Dutch War, near Seneffe in Belgium, then part of the Spanish Netherlands. A French army commanded by Condé and a combined Dutch, Imperial, and Spanish force under William of Orange. One of the bloodiest battles of the war, over 20% of those engaged on both sides became casualties, and the result is disputed.

The Battle of Seneffe, 1674

 

Le siège de Tournai en 1667 de Adam Frans van der Meulen

 

The source for the below image

  David W found this which if you pump up you can see the Gardes. 

"Marche du roi accompagné de ses gardes passant sur le Pont-Neuf et allant au Palais" d'Adam Frans van der Meulen : Détail du carrosse et des gardes.1666

Gardes Françaises c1666 by Konrad Byś

 I like this image. Can't find much more of his work. 

Mousquetaires et piquier des Gardes Françaises vers 1666 (source: tableau de Van der Meulen, Musée de Grenoble, no d’inv. MG 89).

Turenne

Le Maréchal Turenne

Van der Meulen Adam Frans (1632-1690)

Been revisiting Turenne in preparation to getting some Khurasan miniatures. Turkheim the great winter battle's anniversary is 5 January.

Merry Christmas

Discovered I have been doing this blog since 2008 - so ten years! All the best and thanks for dropping by 

A favourite image

Louis XIV Visiting a Trench During the Siege of Tournai in 1667.

help with a reader's query

Dear Ralphus, 

I am taking the liberty of contacting you with a question, encouraged by you excellent blog, yet understand if this is a bit off topic. But - given you should have the time and interest, I ask; 

Do you have any idea about the uniform worn by the horsemen in this picture? Or any other comments on the image? I have bought the painting at an auction in Denmark, and it is signed 'Mevlen'. One possibility is the Flemish painter Adam Frans van der Meulen (1632-1690). See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Frans_van_der_Meulen

Knowing AF Meulen's affiliation with Louis XIV, I am trying to figure out the uniforms of the horsemen in order to place the scene more precisely in history. Now, he did paint extensively on battle scenes, but also things like this, of encounters (and ambushes) in the woods and on roads. (I am not quite sure what the men on the ground are representing, though, but there seems to be a story being reflected). 

Any comments or ideas are welcome - from my initial research I realise that French uniforms weren't fully standardised before the end of the 17th century. From other images the furthest I could get was that they resembled the attire of French musketeers a bit, yet there are no guns carried, as far as I can see. The red trousers with the ornaments do look like something someone with a higher standing might be wearing (officers, members of court??), but maybe the cavalry as such had a fairly high standing?

Best regards, 

Tormod

Another Van der Meulen

Been a while since we had one by him. This one was found on the Facebook page of the Honourable Company of Foote's Facebook page and I think it's a camp before the Rhine.

Marlborough man?

I'm not sure what the story behind this image is. The caption (Anne S K Brown) says Mr. de Marleborough, Tel qu'il était en 1668 quand il servait en qualité d'enseigne dans le Régiment des Gardes Françaises. It's by Van der Meulen. I don't know...was Churchill in the GF?
The flag looks like GF and the clothing looks right for 1668, but is it really 'Marleborough'

Another Van der Meulen

Bataille à l'entrée d'une forêt by Van der Meulen - I've enhanced some of the cavaliers to see some of the detail.

Seneffe

Another interesting drawing by Van der Meulen - the figures in the foreground are worth examining closely - they are presumably French soldiers laden with plunder.
There's an interesting piece on the battle of Seneffe here which would be useful for wargamers which I recommend you to have a look at giving a fairly detailed order of battle for the forces involved.

L'attaque d'une ville

By Van der Meulen, Adam Frans (1632-1690). An unusually dynamic study of an assault by Louis XIV's great battle painter.

Van der Meulen's cavaliers

While we're trying to work out the Kilmainham mystery (see below) I thought it might be interesting to look at some contemporary depictions of French cavalry from about this time by the master himself. Images from here. I think these sketches are interesting in as much as showing the processes that went into a battle painting.

Siege of a town

I don't know the date of this painting called Siege of a town by Van der Meulen but these close-up views of figures are interesting.

More Van der Meulen

Haven't had any of this for a while. Detail showing camp followers and wagons.
Prise de Besançon par les armées du Roi, 15 mai 1674

D'Artagnan's Grave

D'Artagnan is in the news again as a historian claims to have found his grave - news item here
This image by Van der Meulen is said to be D'Artagnan - from the painting Arrivée de Louis XIV au camp devant Maestricht - explanation in Russian language here

Passage du Rhin 1672

This detail from Van der Meulen's depiction of Louis XIV at the crossing of the Rhine (see masthead for full version) shows the French army in its pre uniform days. The black and white engaving depicts the same scene. I can look at these old paintings all day.

Van der Meulen Man With a Musket c1667 and cavalier

You are going to see a lot of this artist's work on this site.

Adam Frans van der Meulen, 1632 - 1690