'Vue et Representation de la Bataille de Mons ou de Malplaquet donnee le 11 Septembre 1709'

From the series 'Batailles gagnees par le serenissime prince F R Eugene de Savoye sur les enemis de la foi, et sur ceux de l'Empereur et de l'Empire en Hongrie, en Italie, en Allemagne et aux Pais-Bas, 1697-1717'.

The Battle of Malplaquet in 1709 was the bloodiest engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713). Malplaquet lies close to the French border, about nine miles (15km) from the Belgian town of Mons. It was here, on 11 September 1709, that an Allied army commanded by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, engaged a French army under Marshal Villars. The French occupied a strong defensive position, but after desperate hand-to-hand fighting the Allies won the day at a cost of over 20,000 men.

These were some of the heaviest casualties seen in 18th century warfare and Marlborough's popularity declined as a result. The Allies had suffered so many casualties that they were prevented from marching on Paris, so the battle was a strategic victory for France.

One of 11 engravings by Jean Huchtenburg, published by Pierre Husson, A la Hage (The Hague), 1720.