Lot 38: RUSSO-SWEDISH WAR -- MARTIN LE JEUNE, Pierre-Denis (c.1663-1742; artist) and LARMESSIN, Nicolas

RUSSO-SWEDISH WAR -- MARTIN LE JEUNE, Pierre-Denis (c.1663-1742; artist) and LARMESSIN, Nicolas Martin (engraver). Izobrazhenie batlii... Sentiabria 28 1708 (Image of the Batttle... near the village of Lesnaya... September 28 1708). -- Izobrazhenie konechnogo razrusheniia (Image of the final Destruction of the Swedish Army by the Russian Army after the main Battle of Poltava... June 30, 1709) -- Izobrazhenie Morskoi Batalii... July 27 1714 (Image of the naval battle... at Gangut [Hangö] 27 July 1714). Engraved by Maurice Baquoy after Martin -- Izobrazheni preslavnoi batalii (Image of the famous battle...not far from Poltava, June 27 1709). Engraved by Simonneau after Martin.

4 full-sheet engraved views (540 x 750mm), deckle edges.

This fine set of prints depicts decisive battles in the Great Northern War. At the Battle of Lesnaya the Russians defeated a Swedish force under General Lewenhaupt. The confidence of this victory contributed to the more significant victory in the Battle of Poltava, which effectively ended Sweden's role as a great power in Europe. After the Battle of Poltava King Charles XII of Sweden fled to Turkey to convince the Sultan to declare war on Russia, leading to the Russo-Turkish wars. The Russians enjoyed their first great naval victory in the Battle at Hangö leading to Russian dominance of the Baltic sea. Larmessin was commissioned by Peter the Great to engrave the battle scenes painted by Martin le jeune. The first impressions of these plates have captions in French, and the second and third set have captions in Russian. Cf.D.A. Rovinskii, Detailed Dictionary of Russian engravers, St. Petersburg: 1895, II, pp. 579-80. (4)

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