This view of the Luxembourg city and fortress was recently discovered in the collections of the Albertina in Vienna. From 23 January to 14 June 2020, the drawing is on display in the permanent exhibition of the Lëtzebuerg City Museum.
This pen-and-ink drawing was made in 1753 by the Austrian artillery officer Wenzel (von) Callot. The 35 x 213 cm large panorama shows the view from the position of the fort Obergrünewald and impresses by its precision and richness of detail. Despite a realistic rendering of the architecture, the drawing corresponds to an idealised image of the town typical of the Early Modern Period: imposing fortifications, slender church towers and striking public buildings (including the Mansfeld Palace).
Born into a middle-class family, Wenzel (von) Callot (1705–1785) joined the artillery at the age of 30 and became a major in 1753. Wenzel and his brother Karl were ennobled by Empress Maria Theresa in 1765. After making a name for himself during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), Wenzel von Callot was promoted to lieutenant colonel and commander of the district of Mechelen in the former Netherlands. In 1767 he was promoted to the rank of a general.
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