Topic: Battles
Örjan Martinsson has recently in his blog published a number of short essay on drawings and paintings of GNW war battles and the possibility of using them as sources for uniforms and colours. On 24 January 1702 Governor General Dahlbergh wrote a letter to the Chancery College, outlining the work he had managed to do in regard to illustrating the battles of Charles XII. In the letter Dahlbergh emphasized that these drawings should be seen as a continuation of the ones he had previously made for the military history of Charles X Gustavus and Charles XI. The list goes as follows:
1. A geographical drawing of the town of Riga with surroundings and the events from the beginning of the war.
2. Two prospects of the town of Riga and the events.
3. A drawing of the bombardment and the assault on Dünamünde.
4. A scenographic drawing of the crossing of the Düna and the great victory.
5. An ichnographic drawing of the fortress of Narva and the Russian siege.
6. A perspective drawing of Narva and the Swedish assault on the Russian camp.
7. A prospect of Mitau.
Would the Chancery please look at these drawings and determine if they were suited for illustrating a future history of the war? If others were able to produce better works, Dahlbergh would be happy to take a step back. His only wish was to show devotion to his dear Fatherland.
Some of the preparations for these drawings can be followed in Dahlbergh's correspondence, mot notably in the letters from Henning Rudolf Horn in Narva (which I believe I have written about earlier). These shows that Dahlbergh was very adamant about getting accurate sources for his own works, i.e. had drawings made by officers who had been present in Narva during the siege.
Source: Riksarkivet, Kanslikollegium E VII: 5-6
