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The Army of Louis XIV in front of Tournai in 1667

1684 · Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels

historical

On the death of Philip IV of Spain, Louis XIV claimed the Low Countries and the Franche-Comté in the name of his wife Marie-Thérèse. This policy of conquest led the king to the gates of Tournai in 1667 during the so-called War of Devolution. The city, badly protected by the old 13th century town wall, could offer little resistance.

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The Army of Louis XIV in front of Tournai in 1667

About the Artist

Adam Frans van der Meulen

1632 – 1690

Flemish painter and tapestry designer. He moved to Paris in 1664, became an assistant to Le Brun and was made one of Louis XIV court painters, specializing in military scenes. He accompanied the king on his campaigns, and his paintings and designs for Gobelins tapestries are accurate historical documents of the battles which they represent. His work of this type is well represented in Versailles. He also made much less grandiose pictures of such subjects as hunting parties and landscapes.

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