6175. Rare collection of Litheim plates from Charles XII's war, 34 engravings and maps.

LITHEIM (LITHÉN, LITHENIUS), JOHAN (1663-1725), oa
Rare collection of engraved plates and maps from 1700-1704 for Charles XII's war campaigns in Russia, the Baltics and Poland after models by Johan Lithén (1663-1725).

The plans were published as a separate atlas to Sam Faber, Ausfürliche Lebens-Beschreibung Carl des XII, Königs in Schweden…, Vol. 1-9, Nuremberg, Frankfurt & Leipzig 1702-1717. The atlas contains the plates for parts 1–7 unfolded, while parts 8 and 9 have their plates in place.
Contains a total of 34 plates (21 large and 13 smaller). In addition to the damage listed below, there are minor tears in the center fold, occasional marbling, tears, minor stains, etc.
Dimensions approx. 350 x 440 mm. (the larger plates) and 140 x 270 mm. (minus the posters). Worn contemporary marbled cardboard binding.

Large: 1. Coppenhagen (damp spots) 2. Geometrischer Grundries der Dünamünder-Schantz 3. Dune fluvius 4. Prospect der Stadt Narwa als... Carl der XII selbige ao 1700... rühmligt entsetzte... (torn middle fold, damage in upper margin) 5. Prospect der Stadt Riga von jenseit der Duna... von Lifländischer seiten...ao 1702 (sign. Ugh. Lithen del ad vivum, tear middle fold) 6. Prospect von der glorious descent und Action... Carl XII. anno 1701...bey Riga... (sign. Iohan Lithen ad vivumdel, tear middle fold) 7. Plan und Prospect von dem Schloss Kokenhusen... 1700... (sign. Johan Lithén delineavit, marg.reva) 8. Prospect der Neumündichen Attack... Die Königliche Schwedische Bombardirung der Festung Dunamünde (sign. Ioh.Lithen part) 9. Delineation der bey Cliscow 12.meilen von Cracau... bloody Feldschlacht (1703) 10. Prospect von der Stadt Thorn 1703 11. Delineation derer Städte und Schlösser in dem Hertzogthum Curland... Mitay, Bauske, Libau 12. Representation von det Stadt Poltoski... 1703 (tear center fold) 13. Delineation der berümbten Victorie... 1703 in Littauen unweit Birsenbey 14. The Siege of Bosen (1704) 15. Delineation of the City and Fortress of Narva 16. Prospect von dem Schloss und Festung Barsen in Lithuania 1704 17. Grund Riss der Stadt Elbin in Preussen ...1704 18. Regni Polonia…. Carolus Gustavus 19. Cracow 20. Warsaw 21. Map of a battle in Poland Small: 1. Tear (tear) 2. Banner 3. King Charles XII. Descente auf Seeland 1700 4. King Charles XII. Descente über den Duna Strom..1701 5. Plan der Attaque der Importen Vestung Narva ...1704 6. Lutzenholm 7. Kakenhusen 8. Frauenstadt 9. Prospect der Stadt u Festung Dörpt (right margin damage with image loss) 10. Prospect von Petersburg und Retusari 11. Prospect und Attaque von Seelburg 12. Prospect von der Belagerung Nötrheburg (right margin damage with image loss) 13 Scharmützel Bey Plunggian in Samoyten Provenance: Bought at book auction in Stockholm June 28, 1732 for 7 Riksdaler 8 marks; with unclear contemporary signature "Per Auser" J. Wrangel, his signature on the cover page.

Cf. literature: Nordic family book, 1912, pp. pp. 786-87 E. Andrén & A. Åberg, Arvid Horn's trophy paintings and the transition over the Düna, in Fataburen, Nordic Museums and Skansen's yearbook, 1963, pp. 7-22 O. Cederlöf, Battle depictions in Carolingian art, in KFÅ. 1955, pp. 12-77 B. Magnusson & J. Nordin, Drömmen om stormakten, 2015 The military successes of the Carolingian period led to a strong increase in interest in war motifs in art and literature. Forerunner in this field was Eric Dahlbergh. Johan Lithén, his student and collaborator, was after Dahlberg's death in 1703 the most significant illustrator of the scenes of the Great Nordic War in its initial stages. The drawings he made on site in the Baltics and in Poland during the years 1700-03 are of great historical importance due to their accuracy. As a fortification officer, he shouldered Dahlberg's mantle in the development and strengthening of Swedish fortifications. Charles XII's victories at Narva, Düna and Riga stimulated Dahlberg to capture in pictures the memory of these feats and he also intended to depict battles during the continuing war in Poland (B. Steckzén and N. Wimarson, Erik Dahlberg's battle plans for Karl XI's and Karl XII's history, Stockholm, Gen. staff. lit. anst., 1922, preface). Dahlberg's passing led to Lithén taking responsibility for this project. However, no publication of the posters ever took place in Sweden.

Johan Lithén (Stengårdshult, Småland 1663-1725 Gothenburg), 1718 ennobled Litheim, studied in Uppsala. In 1683 he became a draftsman with the secretary Claudius Örnhieim in the Antiquities Archive and in 1688 a volunteer at the Fortification. As an employee of Eric Dahlberg, he produced several models for Suecian, including Norrtälje (before 1687) and cleaned up several of Dahlberg's drafts and measurements. On behalf of Dahlberg, he was sent abroad in the early 1690s to record towns and castles for the Suecia work, mainly staying in France. In 1693 he was appointed conductor and in 1695 lieutenant. In 1696 he accompanied Dahlberg to Bremen and Livland. In Livonia he worked on putting Riga, Pernau and Kokenhausen into a state of defence. In 1700 he took part in the defense of Riga against the Saxons, and in 1701 he reconnoitred and mapped the site of the future supership across the Düna and took part in it. He then took part in several of Charles XII's campaigns. In 1705 he reinforced Kobron, but was then transferred to Stockholm to continue the transfer of war actions to copper engraving. In 1708, Lithén became a fortification commander in Gothenburg, in 1709 he was placed in charge of the Bohuslän army's fortification field state and drew up a geographical map of the Norwegian border and fortified Uddevalla. Returning to Gothenburg, in 1712 he drew up proposals for strengthening the city's fortifications.

In comparison to Eric Dahlberg's drawings, Lithén's plates from the war in the Baltics and Poland show a new kind of perspective. Certainly Lithén in France was influenced by Frantz van der Meulen's characteristic way of depicting war scenes. Some of Lithén's plates came to form models for battle paintings at Drottningholm Castle, among others. a. by the battle painter Johan Philip Lembke, summoned from Germany, who also based many of his paintings on models by Eric Dahlberg.